Mr & Mrs Belikov
by ForeverMead
Summary: Rose Mazur and Dimitri Belikov are two well feared assassins, and lifelong rivals. Their #1 targets; each other. Then, a threat comes along threatening the lives of both their families. They have no choice but to call a truce and lay low together until they can figure out who's trying to kill them, and take them out first. Can the hitman get to them before they kill each other?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I **do not** own Vampire Academy. Though I wish I did. All rights go to Richelle Mead.

* * *

"Liss, you know I'd be there if I could. They really got me by the balls here at the office, I have a deadline. Alberta will be up my ass if I don't land this account. I'll make it up to you, I promise." Her exasperated sigh was a clear sign that I wasn't about to be forgiven anytime soon, not that I expected to be. Though, deep down, a part of me was silently pleading and hoping for her to just understand.

"Of course you can't. You know what, Rose, forget it. I shouldn't have expected anything from you, even though you promised me. Just like you promised you'd be at my venue tours, and my florist appointment, and my meeting with the planner, and my designer consultation." I cringed at that.

 _I've missed that much stuff these last few months? Shit. Way to go, Rose._

"Lissa-"

"No, Rose. Like I said, forget it. Don't worry since you're so busy, maybe I'll just find someone else to be my maid of honor. So much for a _best friend_." And with that, it was just me and the dial tone. My chest tightened the longer her words lingered.

 _So much for a best friend._

Of course I knew she only said that out of hurt and anger, but that made it no less painful. I took a deep breath to try and calm my nerves. No time to dwell on it now, I had a job to do. During our conversation I'd never taken my eye off my scope, but in my brief state of vulnerability I'd allowed him to escape my sight. Didn't take long to find him screwing with his secretary on his desk. Victor Dashkov. Billionaire drug smuggler. I'd been following him for some time now figuring out his daily patterns, movements and contacts. Though most of it consisted of fucking anything old enough to be his daughter and shooting half his own supply. I felt pity for the man. He was around 35, but going on 60 with the amount of wrinkles in his face and grey hair. His cheeks were incredibly sunken, and I could tell from how loose his button-up hung on his shoulders and arms that he had lost even more weight these past few months. He looked like a walking corpse. But, shooting your body weight in coke up your arm on top of having a deadly disease can do that to you, I guess.

 _Time to get this over with._

I stared down my scope and lined the crosshairs up with my shot. Taking a deep breath, I pulled the trigger and watched with great satisfaction as the bullet barreled toward its new home between Victor's eyes. Blood painted the back wall of the office, and his lifeless body collapsed on top of the girl. She was definitely going to need some therapy. I smirked at another job well done and made my way down to the car waiting for me, careful not to step in the puddles that were starting to accumulate from the few guards I had to take out before getting a good shot on Victor. Apparently, someone tipped them off that I was coming...from the opposite direction. He had snipers waiting for me. I chuckled humorlessly at the irony of him expecting to get me, but in the end being taken out by his own hired gun. But, he did save me the trouble of carrying my own M82 up to the roof however, so I was grateful for his fuck up. But, immediately the guilt from disappointing Lissa, again, had returned to plague me. Though seeing an all too familiar silver smile did ease some of it.

"Pavel, you have no idea how good it is to see you! I hope you brought the usual, cause I'm in desperate need of a pick-me-up." He said nothing, but walked over to the passenger seat of the car and returned with a brown rectangular box I could spot miles away.

"Donuts!" I squealed launching myself at him in a hug and planting a huge, wet kiss oh his cheek. He hated when I did that, but I didn't care. I was used to the routine by now, but round, fried dough topped with icing always managed to bring the happy kid out in me. And Pavel was like an uncle to me, so I appreciated it all that much more. He's been my dad's personal bodyguard, confidant, and best friend for years. He wasn't really involved with the business, but my dad trusted him with everything. I'd known him since I was very little, but he was just a scary guy my dad kept around all the time then. And, one day he ended up with some bad people thanks to his affiliation with my father. They tortured him for days on end, but he refused to betray us. In fact, he helped my father kill the same men who tortured him and then some. It's still a mystery to me how he escaped, he never wanted to tell me claiming 'a magician never reveals his secrets', but I never doubt his loyalty or importance to our family. That is how he got his "silver smile" as I call it. Getting most of his teeth pulled out was part of the torture, so he had to get implants. He chose silver cause, "Gold is too flashy. I'm a man of simple tastes." As a child it creeped me out a little, but now I think it adds a certain character to him. I'd trust him with my life. Things I couldn't talk to my father about, which was practically everything, I confided in Pavel.

"Whatever it takes to see that smile. Though you could've spared me the kiss. Your father is waiting to speak to you." A slight spark of hope rose, but it was quickly extinguished when he opened the car door for me. Empty. Of course.

"Kizim." My father's voice spoke through the car speakers. The name 'Ibrahim' shone across the stereo display.

"İyi akşamlar, Baba." (Good evening). I kept my voice monotonous to hide my disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I know you were expecting a visit from me soon, but you know how caught up I get with distribution managing," I suppressed a scoff. As if someone else couldn't easily do that. But, he wouldn't dare entrust his precious business to someone else.

"I just wanted to let you know that payment has been transferred into your account, and the jet is ready whenever you're ready to go home."

"I've seen enough of Colombia, I'll have Pavel take me to the airport now."

"As you wish. Good work, Rosemarie." I glared at his use of my full name, he knows I hate that. But, wasn't in the mood to argue so I left it be.

"Thank you, Baba. Call you when I get in." Pavel offered me a sad smile as comfort, which I returned. He understood I was upset, I always was. I hadn't seen my father in almost five years now. He always promised me visits, but closest I ever got to seeing him was video chats on my laptop. Sure, I could just as easily fly out to see him, but I knew he'd only try to talk me into returning home with him. I left because I was ready to live my own life, and he only smothered me. But, that didn't mean I never wanted to see him again. I love Baba. Of course I wasn't all selfish, I understood the risks. I had the same prices on my head as he did. Probably even more considering _I_ was the one doing all the dirty work. Part of me felt like he was doing it as punishment for leaving, even though he denied being angry when I first gave him the news. Whatever it was, I tried my best not to let it get to me. Plus, I had bigger things to worry about. Like how I was about to deal with Lissa being pissed at me.

"So, straight to the airport then?" Pavel asked from the front seat. I was about to agree when a brightly colored bag on this girl's shoulder walking across the street from us caught my eye, and gave me the perfect idea.

"On second thought, Pavel, there's one stop I need to make first."

—Δ—

"Who is it?" Lissa called through the door.

"Housekeeping." I replied in a sickly sweet voice. My hand was over the peephole, so I was hoping she wouldn't try to look through it. Thankfully, she didn't. But, I was spared no pleasantries when she caught sight of who was actually at the door. Her face hardened.

"You know, you really shouldn't do that. Hard to get rid of those deep frown lines. Not good for wedding photos." I joked attempting to lighten the mood. She wasted no time slamming the door in my face. Or, she tried at least. My foot was already firmly lodged in the frame.

"I don't want to see you, Rose." In all our years of friendship, Lissa was never one to get angry. That was all me. But, when she did it was a sight to behold and she was not to be taken lightly. It pained me to see her so upset with me.

"I know, I know. Just—here." Words were more than likely not going to do me any favors, so I got straight to the point and held out the gift I'd bought her from Colombia. It was what they called a 'mochila'; a beautifully woven shoulder bag that said 'Guajira' on the side as a mark for where it came from. The women there had many bright colors they'd made them in, and the style was very boho chic. Lissa loved authentic, handmade things like this, so I got her 3 different ones in different colors and sizes. She eyed the bags warily at first, but the more she studied the detail and careful crafting her expression changed from one of animosity, to one of awe.

"Where did you get these?"

"Well, we landed the contract Alberta was pressing me so hard to get. And the CEO of the company we partnered with is Colombian. Her mother sends her these bags every once in a while as a gift, and she gave me some as a sign of good faith. I know how much you love stuff like this, so this is my peace offering." I explained giving her the biggest smile I could muster. She didn't exactly jump in my arms like I was hoping, but her posture visibly relaxed.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Well, come on don't leave me hanging out here. We've got work to do, don't we?" I attempted to squeeze past her in the door, and failed miserably. Something told me this wasn't going to be that easy, but a girl could try.

"This isn't something that can be fixed with gifts, Rose. This is serious. I don't know how glamorous you think planning a wedding is, but it's not. Not in the slightest. I've been under a _lot_ of stress, and I was really expecting you to be here for me. You know, like you said you would be? I mean what's been going on with you? Ever since you got that promotion or whatever at work you've had hardly any time for me. And I don't just mean the wedding. When's the last time we had a lunch date? A shopping weekend? A girl's night? I don't know what's going on, but you seem to have a whole lot of priorities...and I'm not one of them." She averted her gaze to the floor, but not before I saw her eyes glaze over as tears started to well up in them. My heart plummeted into my stomach. Long time ago I made a vow to kill anyone that ever made her cry...didn't seem so practical now. Of course I knew she was upset, but that I could handle. This worried me. She wasn't just disappointed like I thought. She doubted the strength our friendship. Well, mine specifically. How could she really not know how much I cared about her? And, our friendship.

 _Not like you've made it so obvious these last few months_.

I'd lost a lot of things in life, some losses I barely made it through. Losing Lissa was not something I would be able to bear. We've been friends for as long as I can remember, and when her family died we took her in until she could make it on her own and got her inheritance. I loved her like a sister. She was the only normal thing I could count on in life. She kept me sane and grounded. What would I be without her? Tears started to prick at the back of my own eyes. I was at a loss for words. As if there was anything I could say at this point...

"I've got an appointment early in the morning, and Christian is waiting for me to fix dinner. Congratulations, Rose." This time I let her close the door. My sadness quickly boiled into anger. I turned and threw my fist into the nearest wall. There was no one to blame but myself. Suddenly I was exhausted, yet restless at the same time. I needed to hit something. Thankfully, I always kept a duffle bag of clothes in the trunk in case I had to disappear on short notice. Workout clothes included.

It didn't take me long to get to the gym, and I was in luck since no one was ever there this late. Usually I'd go running a bit on the track to warm up, but right now I really just needed to blow some steam. So, I went straight for the bag. Boxing had become an interest of mine sometime during my teen years. I'd gone through a lot, and was left with a lot of anger and stress as a result. That, on top of my usual temper was not a good combination. I often took it out on everyone else around me, including my father. Though, I think that was more on them than me. People loved to poke the fucking bear. Pavel was actually the one who suggested I take up boxing and offered to teach me. It was meant to be just an outlet, but the longer it went on I found I really enjoyed it. Later, I also got into kickboxing, jujitsu, mma, tae kwon do, and a couple others. So pretty much anything that teaches you how to kick someone's ass, I know it.

I'd become so focused on just releasing everything on the punching bag that I hadn't even noticed the cuts and scrapes on my knuckles. They weren't too deep, but I was definitely going to need bandages. Oh well. I decided to just shower when I got home and packed up. Even after beating up my hands, I still felt like shit. Sure, the tension in my body was gone thanks to the fact that I was exhausted, but emotionally I was still just as much of a wreck. How was I supposed to fix this with Lissa? What if I couldn't? Then, something even more upsetting came to mind.

 _What if she's just better off without me?_

I clenched my jaw at the thought. Not because it was wrong, but because it held truth. I was no good for Lissa. I kill people for a living for God's sake. If she knew the truth, she wouldn't be able to look at me let alone speak to me ever again. She'd hate me. Now, with all the contracts I constantly had coming in, I had no time to be there for her like she needed me to. Like a _real_ best friend should be. She deserved better.

I sighed heavily.

It took all the strength I had not to collapse on the couch the second I stepped through my door. I had to admit despite all the places I traveled for "work", nothing ever beat how great it felt to come home. But, having an amazing place with a view to call home probably had something to do with that. I had to fight tooth and nail to get this loft, and it was more than worth it. Finding a place in Manhattan was not easy, and finding a place with the perfect view of Central Park was nearly impossible. The second I moved to NYC I knew exactly where I wanted to live, I had a vision and would settle for nothing less. Money was no issue, so that definitely made my search a little easier. It was actually Lissa who found this loft for me. She came across a woman on the street one day who just so happened to be handing out flyers about a space she had to get rid of because she couldn't afford it anymore. It was extremely pricey, so she wasn't getting much luck finding potential buyers. Lissa took a tour of the loft herself and sent me some pictures. I fell in love. It was a two level loft with one bed upstairs and two baths. Downstairs was the kitchen, living room, and guest bathroom. Everything was open space so it was extremely roomy. The bedroom, personal bathroom, a walk-in closet, and a secret room behind the closet the owner had installed were upstairs. I never bothered to ask why because lucky for me, it gave me a place to hide all my "stuff from the office". It was an industrial style space so everything was left pretty much as it was made; there were brick walls, wooden and steel kitchen furnishings, and plenty of huge windows for natural lighting. It all felt very down to earth. Upstairs, however, was a completely different story. Everything was much more modernly styled with white walls, a marbled bathroom, and furniture that looked more for show than actual use. But, still more than enough windows. Despite the few issues I had with some of the decor, I loved the space. I called Lissa immediately and told her to tell the woman that I was definitely buying. Lucky for her she agreed. Rose Hathaway doesn't take no for an answer. I paid in full, much to both of their suspicions, and moved in soon after. It's been my favorite place to be ever since.

A faint jingle of a bell brought me out of my thoughts. I looked down to find Vahşi, my cat, weaving herself between my legs. It's actually funny seeing as when Lissa and I used to live together, she had this cat named Oscar. He was an asshole. For some reason we just didn't get along, and I told Lissa I'd die before I ever owned a cat. Now, here I am with one of my own. I found her in the alley behind my place when she was a kitten in the garbage can looking for food. It seemed like she'd been abandoned or separated from her mother. And, I hated to admit it but I was starting to get lonely living here alone. So, I took her in and named her Vahşi because she has spots like a leopard. Vahşi means wild in Turkish. Personally, I find myself to be more of a dog person, but I was gone way too much to properly take care of one. I loved her all the same.

"Aww, did you miss me?" She meowed in response rubbing her head across my ankles. I bent down to pick her up and kissed her on the forehead. She relaxed into my arms instantly as I carried her upstairs and started to purr. I found myself relaxing as well. Even though I'm always the one catering to her, she manages to soothe me. Somehow. I placed her in her usual spot on the windowsill, and went to quickly take my shower. Usually I could spend forever in the shower, but now all I wanted to do was sleep.

In the middle of drying off and pinning up my hair, my phone flashed. 10PM, right on schedule.

 _No visit today? I'm hurt :( -A_

Actually, the more I thought about it I could've used one of our nightly visits. It would've taken my mind off everything. For a little while at least. But, I wasn't in the mood for it now.

 _You'll live. Got caught up with work, real tired. Another time? -R_

 _I'll hold you to that, little businesswoman. Btw, have I ever told you I love a woman in charge? ;) -A_

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Being a pain in the ass without being present had to be some sort of special skill. But, I was starting to catch myself getting used to him being around. That was a no-no. Probably should've thought through my response a little more, but the damage had been done. I only hoped that he would, by some miracle, forget our conversation.

Vahşi took her usual spot nestled into my abdomen and curled up in the bed next to me. I closed my eyes and prayed for the best. Not for sleep, that wasn't a concern, but for peace of mind from the ghosts of the dead that still haunted me. There weren't many kills that I regretted, but those that did...they hung around. And for some reason tonight, they weren't giving me a break. Every time I closed my eyes there was a pair of empty ones peering back at me through the darkness. Each one different. After a while I stopped trying. I was careful not to wake Vahşi getting out of bed and headed to the one other place that kept me busy and calm. The smell of lemon Pledge and metal instantly stilled my mind. I couldn't explain it if I wanted to, it was just something about the process of taking my guns apart, cleaning them, and putting them back together. It was like turning off my brain for a while, and I was in need of some real down time. I couldn't tell you how many guns I went through before finally taking a break. I curled up on the chaise lounge on the far side of the room with some files on my next target. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a lonely, void sleep. Just like I liked it.

* * *

 _Well guys here I am with a new story! First, to those of you who follow my other VA story 'The Switch', no need to fear I have not given up on it. This story is to help me figure out how I want to go with it, and by this one being AU and AH it allows me to get out all my own personal creative directions so I can stick better to the story._

 _Either way, I hope you guys enjoy this one as well. Feel free to let me know how you're feeling so far, and if I should continue. Constructive criticism is always welcome :)_

 _Anyone think they know who 'A' is? ;)_

 _Until next time!_


	2. Chapter 2

A persistent knocking jolted me from my sleep. Wait...knocking? The last thing I was expecting was a visitor. Especially on a Sunday. Hell, I could count on my hand the number of people that knew where I lived. Thankfully I fell asleep in the arsenal, so I didn't have to go too far for a gun. I grabbed the nearest pistol and made my way to the front door. Most likely I wasn't going to use it, it'd be pretty hard to blame gunshots on the cat to my neighbors, but you never know. I walked as quietly as I could toward the door, making sure not to alert whoever it was that I was up. The knocking had stopped, so I was hoping whoever it was had gone on their way. But, the history of my life would show that anything even remotely resembling "luck" was practically nonexistent. I pressed my back against the wall, and cocked the pistol.

"Who is it?" I demanded not bothering to spare the irritation from my voice.

"I know it may not seem like it, but I do have a life of my own to get back to. Haven't gotten all day, Rose." A voice even more irritated than mine called through the door. A voice I had come to know pretty well throughout the most recent years.

"Sydney. I know early bird gets the worm and all, but you couldn't have waited till the afternoon?" She snorted.

"One, you've never heard me say that. And two, it's 12:30. Now, unless you actually plan on using that gun I suggest you stop wasting time." I unlocked the door and stepped aside letting her in. She smirked.

"Happy to see me, Hathaway?" I attempted, and failed, to raise a brow. She motioned toward my lower half. In my rush to get to the door, I'd apparently forgotten to throw on some pants.

"Cute, Sage. Cut the shit, I know my dad sent you." I knew it wasn't her fault, but I really wasn't in the mood for business. If it weren't for the fact that I considered her a friend, she'd still be on the other side of the door. Part of me was actually happy to see her. Too bad she wasn't visiting, I would've offered her to stay for coffee. Truthfully I hated the stuff, but it kept me running nowadays.

"Unfortunately, yes. I am. Trust me, I don't like being under his thumb any more than you do. I'm just glad it at least pays the bills. He's got a new target for you. Urgent." She dug through her bag and pulled out a file way too big for my liking. Not something you'd hear me say often. I made no rush to take it from her.

"Come on, Rose. Don't make this hard. The faster you get it done, the better." I suppressed an outright fit of laughter. _Done?_ There was no done in this business. Might get a week's vacation if you're lucky, but that's as close as you're going to get. That is, if you don't end up dead during said vacation. She was right about one thing though, the sooner the better. Frankly, cleaning up my father's trash was starting to get old.

"Give me the damn file." I grumbled snatching it from her fingers. She held up her hands in surrender backing towards the living room.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger." I rolled my eyes. Soon as I opened the file, the sip of the coffee I'd just taken was promptly sprayed across the kitchen island.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! NATHAN?! He _has_ to be joking." She smiled, but there was no humor in her eyes. She knew just as I did, how big of a mistake this was. My father was known for being a lot of things. Cold, calculating, manipulative, the list went on. Stupid, however, was not one of them.

"I wish he was." This time I couldn't hold back my laughter. I nearly doubled over. This was hilarious. Not in a ha-ha kind of way, but in a 'he's lost his fucking mind' kind of way. Sydney's wide brown eyes eyed me carefully. She looked at me as if I'd just sprouted an extra head.

"He's out of his mind if he thinks I'm doing this. Has that old man forgotten who Nathan works for? Killing him would be starting a full on _war_. And I'm not risking my life for whatever crazy scheme he's got planned this time." The only thing people get into the business we do for is power. And my father wanted to be on top. But, that didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was the dangerous gamble he was taking to get there. This wasn't smart. It was suicide. Nathan was one of those people you knew, but knew not to start trouble with. I'd say we were almost in the same league, but I could easily kill him with or without my guns. And, I left no tracks. He was careless and cocky. He did what he wanted, when he wanted and counted on his reputation to keep people off his back. So far, it's been working for him. Until now since the old man was sending me after him. Though Nathan was hardly the issue. Galina was. She and my father were practically at the top of the food chain in the illegal trade business. At first it was just my father, everyone in Russia knew the name "Zmey" and feared it. No one would've even thought to cross him, unless they had a death wish. It wasn't until he left to expand that Galina rose to power in his place. And I highly doubted she was going to just give that up. Killing Nathan was practically breaking down her front door, and that would only be the beginning. She wouldn't stop until the only trace left of me and my father was blood.

"I agree with you, Rose. But, you and I both know your father has a reason for everything. Who it truly benefits in the end, that's questionable. But, this time it'd actually be saving a lot of people. You know better than anyone what she's really into. She needs to go down. Plus, you know he'd never do anything to put you in danger. If anyone can do it, it's you. He knows that. And, so do you."

 _God damnit. I hate it when she's right._

And as much as I didn't want to admit it, and I really _really_ didn't want to admit it, she was right. As crazy and baffling as Baba could be sometimes, he never just threw me into the lion's den. Not without a gun anyway. And Galina wasn't just your average illegal goods dealer, she was dangerous. Sure, she was into selling guns and drugs to whoever was willing to pay the highest price, everyone on the underbelly of the law was, but that wasn't her main trade. Galina was one of the biggest human traffickers known across the Atlantic. Her center of operations was in this small town in Russia; Baia. She had this huge building where she kept the girls brought to her off the streets and held them there like puppies in a mill waiting to be sold off. My father wasn't the most righteous man, but what she did...it was despicable. She needed to be stopped, and as much as police just about everywhere tried to find her they were getting nowhere. Shocking, I know. This was a job to be handled by someone who knew how to get their hands dirty. I guess the main thing I was worried about was... _him._ I'd been on his trail for years now, and he mine. Forever locked in this game of cat and mouse, only which was which was often unpredictable. Going after Galina would only give him all the more reason to come after me. Don't get me wrong this wasn't fear. I feared no one. It's just that when it comes to targets, I always have the upper hand. Two steps ahead. Getting caught off guard was something I couldn't afford, and if anyone could do it _he_ could. As far as skill and intel, we were equally matched which only made killing him that much more of a challenge. When I finally went after him, it was going to be on my terms. No surprises.

"Yea. Thanks, Sydney." My response came out a little more curt than I intended, but I was truly starting to become exhausted from our conversation. I offered her a small smile as a remedy, which she returned.

"No problem. And I'm sorry, Rose. I know you could use a break...maybe this will be the last one for a little while. Hopefully, I won't be seeing you again anytime soon." With that she took her leave, closing the door behind her. Something told me to call Baba, but that was going to have to wait till later. I really just wanted to relax, that's it. Even that was starting to seem like a luxury I wasn't going to be getting at this point. So, looked like I was going to have to settle for the next best thing. I hadn't been home in a couple weeks, so finding clothes wasn't all that hard since they were laying everywhere. I decided on a pair of dark, high waisted jeans with rips in the knees; a mustard yellow tube top, my black leather jacket, and combat boots. Yellow wasn't usually my color, but being late April it seemed to fit the season. And, I loved the top because it hugged the curves of my breasts perfectly. I spread a thin layer of gloss over my lips and smirked at my reflection. Grabbing anyone's attention wasn't my goal, but I couldn't help but take pride in knowing I would. I always did.

I ran a brush through my dark brown hair in a quick attempt to tame the tangled waves falling down my back. After sprinkling some extra dry food in Vahşi's bowl, I grabbed my shades and keys off the counter, and headed out. The weather was pretty good this time of year. Not quite into summer yet but well out of winter, so it was a great day to be out. Thank God cause I had no idea where the hell I was about to go. I really just needed a breather for a little while.

When I stepped outside a cool breeze swept past, it reminded me of everything I love about this city. It carried freshly cut grass, sizzling meat, rotten exhaust fumes, mediocre coffee, and many more all perfectly blended together. I came to New York City because, besides the fact that it's a perfect cover with how crowded it is, I knew that here I'd never have a dull day. Even after having lived here for a couple years now, I was still finding new things throughout the city. There was always something to do. Always something to see. With the kind of stuff I did and saw ombré the regular, you needed distractions and this city was flooded with them.

Fortunately for me there happened to be a storage space just a short walk away from my building. It gave me somewhere to keep my babies. Part of me felt bad for keeping them locked up for so long, but I knew it was for the best. There was no way I was parking them on the street to come up missing. It was a general rule of mine not to kill anyone without contract. That would be the day I broke it. A grin spread across my face from ear to ear as soon as I caught sight of them. I didn't have many guilty pleasures in life, but they were definitely one of them.

My motorcycles. The sport; Ducati super sport, and the classic; Harley-Davidson Dyna low rider. Or, as I liked to call them; Leon and Nikita. Being one myself, I had a thing for kick-ass assassin movies. Go figure. Leon: The Professional was an all time classic and favorite of mine, the Davidson. It was harder naming the super sport because I was stuck between Nikita and Alice. Resident Evil had become one of my favorite films since moving to the states and I think we can all agree Milla Jovovich was practically born a badass. Ultimately, I chose Nikita. It sounded cooler.

 _I'm feeling more like a classic today._

I pulled Leon from the garage, threw my hair into a ponytail and started him up. The deep rumble from the engine rippled throughout my body leaving goosebumps in its path. It was invigorating. I loved my Volvo, but the bikes...nothing compared to being out on a bike. There was just something about being completely exposed to the world, yet so detached. In a car it's easy to just ignore everything that's going on around you since you're boxed in, but that wasn't possible on a bike. Every sight, taste, smell, sound, everything was coming at you at once. At first it can be a bit overwhelming. I nearly panicked and lost control my first ride because everything was moving so fast I felt almost suffocated. But now, I found my greatest peace on these bikes. When you're out just riding, you feel nothing and everything at the same time. Of course at first you try to focus on everything that's going on, but then at some point...you just let go. Suddenly everything that was happening faded away into white noise and a blur of colors. You were no longer just riding on a bike, but gliding through space and time. Nothing mattered. It was just you and the bike, and it was amazing. Of course, that was an experience better had riding along a straight road or winding track. Nobody liked the asshole flying through traffic on an adrenaline high. But with this city's traffic? Not likely.

I couldn't tell you how long I'd been riding, but it seemed I had more of an idea on where to go than I thought. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips when I took in exactly where I ended up. The water glistened alluringly as the sun danced along the pull of the waves. The Queensboro bridge stood proudly above the island giving everyone crossing only a glimpse of the breathtaking view below. Thankfully, there weren't too many people out so I rode the tram across alone. The second I touched down I immediately gravitated towards my favorite spot; there were plenty of sights to see on Roosevelt Island but I really only came here for one. Since it was late spring, the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom and there was this promenade under the bridge lined with these beautiful trees. I often came here when I needed to just shut myself off from the world for a while. The trees coupled with the calming sway of the water and the comfortable stillness, despite the bustling city noise in the distance, was my touch of heaven here on Earth. I curled up on one of the benches, pulling my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. There weren't many times I got to feel at peace or come to this spot, so this was always a cherished moment. I spent so much time planning out trips, calculating escape routes, target practicing, gathering information, following people around...I got paid well, but it took a lot out of me. Especially since I got a lot of targets outside the states. Nathan was one of the few, which is why the old man wanted me to take him out now while we had him so close within our sights. But, now wasn't the time to think about that. I closed my eyes and before I knew it I slipped into the calm, hush that was sleep.

 _My breathing became labored as I struggled to catch my breath. I'd been running for...actually I couldn't remember how long. But, I knew I couldn't stop now if I wanted to stay alive. I was lucky to get out when I did, and luck like that didn't often come twice. I tried to find a suitable place to stop, gather my bearings, but it was so damn dark I couldn't make anything out but the silhouettes of the trees. That was all that seemed to stretch out in front of me. I had no idea where the hell I was or where I was going. But, I needed to figure it out fast._

 _"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Think, Rose!" I frantically looked in every direction trying to find something, anything that showed signs of civilization. I needed to get back to town. It was bad enough I had no way to contact Baba or Pavel, but I'd lost my gun in the scuffle. I still had my training, but kicks and punches weren't going to save my ass in a gun fight._

 _"Fuck!" I hissed as a hot, stinging sensation settled into my side. Thanks to a silencer, more than likely, I hadn't even heard him fire. He was getting close. My heart rate skipped into double time when I brought my hand to my face, even in the dark I could make out the thick, slick liquid that was blood. There wasn't too much, so he hadn't hit an artery. But I'd already taken too much of a beating from fighting. It wouldn't be too long now before I collapsed from exhaustion, or hypothermia. With all the strength I had left, I got up and pushed myself on. I'd come to far to fall to this asshole now._

 _"Fine...you want me, come and get me." I quickly ducked behind a tree and lied in wait. There was a lot of cover out here, but there was nothing to be heard but the wind. I controlled my breathing as best as I could and listened for any signs that he was getting to where I needed him to be. Couple seconds later I started to hear light crunching of feet plodding through snow. He was trying to be quiet, but even the lightest feet couldn't remain completely silent in snow. He was crouched low as he walked, most likely to try and conceal himself better through the trees. But, it was still hard to miss his large and brawny frame. I couldn't see his face since his dark hair was loose and shielded it from my view, but I imagined his dark eyes were narrowed and focused. Ready to track the slightest movement._

 _"она не могла далеко ходить." (She couldn't have gotten far). I heard him mumble to himself. I was starting to appreciate those Russian lesson's Baba made me take._

 _Good, he's unsuspecting._

 _As he walked a little farther I slowly crept from behind the tree and made my way towards him. The wind picked up and had gone from a low whistle to a screeching howl, now was my chance. I charged forward and ducked low to the ground sweeping his legs from under him at the knees. Since he was crouched low it made it easier to buckle them, he landed flat on his ass. Before he had the chance to recover, my arms were around his neck in a choke-hold. He struggled to grab the gun he dropped a few feet from him when he fell. I took advantage of his difficulty and wrapped my legs around him, throwing us backwards, and squeezed as hard as I could. As sick as it was, the strangled grunts I felt rumble in his throat was music to my ears. The solidity of his ribs started to painfully dig into my thighs, but I had to hold out. His breathing had become ragged and I could tell he was starting to lose consciousness. I started to smirk in victory before searing pain surged from the bullet wound on my side as he repeatedly threw his elbow back into it._

 _"Agh!" I cried in pain as dots started to dance around my vision. I had no choice but to release my hold on him and rolled on my good side trying to desperately soothe some of the agony that was crippling me. He had sat forward on his knees and was quickly trying to recover his breathing. I kept yelling at my body to move, but it was out for the count. My mind was starting to follow as I stopped feeling, well...anything. All my senses had gone numb. I could barely feel my heart beating, despite its pounding in my chest. I desperately tried to make out something, anything, but my vision had become blurred beyond repair. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but with what little strength I had I forced them back. If this was the end, and I was pretty damn sure it was, I wasn't about to let him see my weakness. He wouldn't get that satisfaction. I didn't fear death. I only feared what I had missed and failed to do in life. Most of all, I was disappointed that I had failed my mission. I had a job to do, and it wasn't for me. I was supposed to save lives and I let them down..._

 _I'm sorry._

 _The piercing roar of a gunshot was the last I heard before my conscious left this world completely._

A cool, moist lapping at my hand brought me out of my not-so-still sleep. So much for peace. I looked down to find an unruly tangle of curly golden brown and white fur sitting next to me on the bench. The small dog had a leash on it, so I assumed it had made a dash away from its owner and somehow ended up here. It had a pink collar secured tightly around its neck with a golden heart engraved 'Maisie'. I had to shield my eyes as the diamonds decorating it glared reflecting the sun, and there was quite a few of them. Whoever she belonged to, they must've really loved this dog. She appeared to have some age on her, but still kept the soul and energy of a puppy. I smiled at her lovingly, giving her a scratch behind the ears. I had a soft spot for dogs. Forgive me, Vaşhi.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you for waking me up from a scary dream, huh?" I cooed scooping the small animal into my arms. She happily complied, attacking my face with her chilled nose and slobbery tongue. I giggled. Yea, I actually _giggled._ Something only cute animals had the power to bring out of me _._ Suddenly, a young woman came flying around the corner. When she spotted the dog in my arms she froze. Her blue eyes were wide as she looked between me and the dog, probably wondering if I was about to dart in the opposite direction with her dog.

"Fun time's over." I kissed the dog chastely and walked over to the woman. The closer I got to her this eerie feeling washed over me like I knew her from somewhere. I couldn't place it, but it was overwhelming. She was a couple inches taller than me, and very slim in figure. She had a round face with curly red hair that flew in all directions, even in the ponytail she had secured it in. Her skin was a little lighter than mine and freckles littered the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. She was wearing some althetic sneakers, black biker shorts, and a neon blue sports bra. Seemed like she had been out for a run, probably stopped for a breather or some water when the dog slipped away from her. When I got to her eyes, my heart nearly stopped. She had these stunning blue eyes that I would've recognized anywhere. Only last time I'd seen them, they had been abandoned of all life. A hard lump rose in my throat.

 _No...no. It can't be. I would've known. He would've told me...wouldn't he?_

"Uhm, thanks. For not running off with my dog." She murmured looking away from my gaze. From her tense shoulders and rigid posture, I could tell she was uncomfortable. I blinked furiously trying to regain my composure.

"Yea, of-of course. I'd hate it if anyone stole my cat, so yea. Totally understand. She's adorable by the way." I attempted to break the awkward atmosphere that had started to accumulate around us. She perked up at my mentioning of the dog and looked down at her dearly. This dog wasn't just a dog to her, she was family.

"Yea...I've had her for a while. She's helped me through a lot so...I'd be lost without her." The tension wasn't as bad now, but we weren't exactly buddies either. I had so many questions for her...but she had no idea who I was and I had a feeling she wouldn't be open to answering them. I wasn't sure I was ready to ask them either.

"Well, thanks again." She put the dog on the ground and started to go back in the direction she came.

"Hey, wait!" My emotions got the best of me. I needed to know. She turned around, but made no moves to walk back over.

"Sorry, but Maisie is such a cute name. If you don't mind, what made you pick it?" I asked as gently as I could. I didn't want to appear more interested than any normal person and freak her out. A grim expression crossed her captivating features before she smiled sadly.

"I named her after my brother...he died a while back. As much as I tried letting him go, I couldn't. And then she came along. I got her from some guy in the classifieds who was just giving away puppies, I guess he had more than he could handle. He told me she was a boy at first..." She chuckled, "You can imagine my surprise when it turned out she was a girl. So, I had to improvise. Though, there aren't many ways to turn Mason into a girl's name so wasn't all that hard I guess." At the end of her story, a lone tear leaked from the corner of her eye, which she quickly wiped away clearing her throat.

"Well, we should get going, babygirl. It was nice to meet you, uhm..." She held her hand out and paused for me to fill in the blanks. Somehow, she had inherited the same charm as her brother. I found myself just as comfortable around her as I had him. I'd only hoped we'd met at a different time...in a different life.

 _A life where he was still here..._

"Rose. You can call me, Rose." I smiled shaking her hand.

"Antoinette. But, only my mother calls me that so you can call me Toni. See you around, Rose." And she jogged off in the other direction, Maisie cheerfully falling into step beside her. A jagged ache threatened to overtake my nerves and my heart slowed to a dangerous rate. _Mason._ That was a name I hadn't heard or thought about in a long time, within good reason. He was one person I had wanted to forget. As shitty as it sounded. Losing him was one of the worst things I ever had to experience in my life. I couldn't handle mourning him, so I chose to forget him.

 _Real devoted. Considering it's your fault he's gone._

It took all the strength I had to tear myself out of my own destructive thoughts and make it back to my bike. Peace and silence wasn't going to do it anymore. I needed a real distraction.

—Δ—

 *** WARNING ADRIANXROSE LEMON AHEAD ***

It took slightly longer for him to answer the door than usual. Guess I wasn't the only one who took a personal day Sunday.

"Who the hell—oh." Judging by his appearance he had just gotten out of the shower and quickly threw on some sweats. His chestnut brown hair was even messier than usual sticking to his forehead and flying out in all sorts of directions, and his bare muscled chest was still adorned with a couple droplets of water. One in particular caught my eye as it fell from his neck, past his chest, and down his abs. Which also brought my attention to how dangerously low his sweats hung. A moan sat low in my throat. I moistened my lips and drew my eyes back up to his face. His usual smug smirk was in place and his eyes had darkened in lust. Looking at him now, it was very easy to see how he made magazine covers and Calvin Klein catalogs.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, little businesswoman?" He asked leaning against the door. His eyes twinkled with amusement. I rolled my own and pushed him inside.

"I knew you couldn't stay away too long." If he hadn't looked so damn sexy, I would've hit him.

"Shut up before I come to my senses, Adrian." Before he could turn me off with anymore talking, I grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced his lips to meet mine. He responded instantly placing his hands on my waist and backing me into the door. The kiss was hungry and feverish as both of us desperately tried to find alleviation from our craving in the other. Usually our visits were simple, we had an agreement and that's all it was. Sex. But, this time was different. We clung to each other almost desperately. Both using the other as not just a source of pleasure, but escape. Adrian lived a charmed life; fame and fortune with women constantly surrounding him, and all the alcohol he could drink. He never had to so much as lift a finger, besides to maybe put on the underwear he modeled. If he even had to do that. What could he possibly be running from? It was a thought I pushed to the back of my mind for the time being. That's not what I was here for.

I jumped, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist joining our growing, his more literally than mine, arousal together. He groaned, slipping his tongue past my plumped lips, daring my own to a graceful battle of dominion. The two fought vigorously, both fiercely trying to entice submission from the other. Somewhere along the way my jacket was slipped off and discarded across the room. His slender fingers eagerly drifted up to the elastic at the bottom of my top and pulled, freeing my bust from the tight fabric. A gasp escaped my lips as his cold skin came in contact with the inferno blazing beneath my own. He took that opportunity to release my mouth and put his to use elsewhere. Greedy kisses trailed from my jawline, down my chin, and stopped at my neck where they turned into sensual licking and sharp bites. I hissed arching my back on instinct to provide him more access. He started to suck at the delicate skin with fervor, not letting up until he was sure to leave his mark. Hickies were generally a no for me, I wasn't into anything that meant someone had possession over me, but at the moment I couldn't find the energy to care.

My mind hadn't even registered we were moving until I felt the chill of his smooth leather couch on my back. His lips never left my skin. Satisfied with his work on my neck, he moved down to the peaks of my breasts which had been practically begging for his attention since I stepped in the door. He was more than happy to supply it, capturing one in his mouth while his hand kept the other busy with pinching and rubbing. The warmth inside his mouth and wetness of his tongue sent a strong shock surging throughout my body. I shuddered. That'd never happened before. Sure, it always felt good but it never felt _this_ good. Now it was more than clear that this "visit" had grown beyond just sex. Adrian was more than skilled I could give him that, but what was happening now wasn't solely physical pleasure. I'd allowed the one thing to happen that was never supposed to and it was having a serious effect on how my body was responding to him. I was starting to get too deeply involved. Every fiber in my mind was screaming at me to stop, but every nerve in my body was too absorbed in him to listen. And, in the deep crevices of my mind I knew I didn't want him to. I wanted him to touch me in ways he, or anyone else for that matter, never had. His hands found the button securing my jeans at my bellybutton and effortlessly undid them, I wiggled my hips to aid him in sliding them as well as my underwear off. He released my nipple and raised up on his palms, gazing down at my now very exposed figure intensely. His deep emerald eyes roamed my body extensively. But, he no longer looked at me like the hot girl he'd been waiting to nail, and was lucky to continue nailing, but more like he'd been lost and burdened for so long and then here I was. The one to ease it all. His salvation. Heat started to creep up in my cheeks and my hands flew to shield my most private parts from his passionate gaze. I was actually fucking blushing.

 _What the hell is happening to me?_

"You're beautiful, Rose." He whispered taking my hands in his own. He placed a soft kiss on the backs of each before pinning them above my head. My muscles tensed. I wasn't used to surrendering, to not being in control. It made me anxious...yet also brought about excitement. He sensed my hesitation, leaning down to mold our mouths together once again tenderly.

"You don't have to always be in control of everything. Trust me." Just his sultry voice was enough to crumble the very walls I'd spent years to build around myself. It swept through me like a calming tide, washing away all my doubts and rigidity as it went. We'd been together like this more times than I could count, but I'd never felt so safe, so...idolized. Slowly but surely my muscles had fully relaxed once again and I was completely at his mercy. I couldn't think. He had wound himself into all my senses. Everything I felt, smelled, saw, heard, and tasted was him, and I was still yearning for more. I was no different than the countless other girls he charmed his way into before me. Only, he didn't think of me so lowly.

"Adrian..." It came out more as a plea than a resolute declaration like I had meant it to. This was bad. I didn't like how I was becoming undone by him. Or, I wasn't supposed to anyway. I needed him to stop before it was too late for me to rebuild the barriers he had so easily broken. I just couldn't find the words to tell him to. He took it as a plea to continue and freed one hand to venture south into more moistened territory. My breath hitched. I was practically flooding with anticipation. On the way down he grazed raised, rugged skin and let his fingers linger longer than they were meant to. That was the trigger that sent my mind into hysteria. Images of an intensely lit room, sharpened surgical instruments, men in masks, metal restraints, and my blood pooling on the floor vividly assaulted my mind. I hadn't even realized my change in breathing until the sound of my own erratic wheezing filled my ears.

"Rose? ROSE?! Breathe, what's wrong?" I was just barely able to focus my eyes enough to see Adrian's eyeing me with concern and slight panic. This was exactly what I was afraid of. When people worry they ask questions, and there were too many questions I couldn't answer. Plus, I had to too much to worry about on my own without having to coddle someone else. And the story of that scar was specifically one I swore to never tell. I didn't want anyone's pity, and I could barely handle it myself. My father, hell or Pavel for that matter, didn't even know about it. And, they never will. Which was mostly because I knew they'd burn down cities to find the ones responsible. It was my wound to suffer. Alone. And as much as I shouldn't, I care about Adrian too much, just as much as them, to put him through that or risk his life. If I told him part of it there'd be no going back. I'd have to spill all of it.

Though the thought did cross my mind for a second that maybe if I did, then he'd stay out of my life and I could focus on work like I was supposed to. Though, he'd more than likely call the cops. No more New York then, or anywhere in the states for that matter. If the authorities knew even a quarter of the crimes I'd committed I'd be public enemy #1. And the old man would have him killed in an instant if he found out.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Could you get me my clothes, please?" Disappointment flashed across his face before being replaced by understanding, and a look of worry as if the second he left me alone I would fall apart. I gave him the most reassuring smile I could muster. He gave me a small one in return and nodded. Once I had my clothes he left to put on more of his own, which gave me a little time to get myself together and come up with a lie. Luckily, I'd been lying all my life. The hard part was coming up with one he wouldn't bother to question. Adrian was a persistent son of a bitch when he wanted to be.

He came back wearing his old college v-neck, sporting a very expensive looking bottle of vodka.

"You look like you could use a drink."

* * *

 _Well here we are with chapter two. I know it's a little long, not sure if that's good or bad... I'm sorry to say the ending isn't the best, seeing as it somehow all got deleted and I had to rewrite :( can't work the same magic twice. But I hope it's still alright for you all nevertheless and you enjoyed it._

 _Anyway, how are you guys feeling so far? How do you feel about Rose's life and what she does? What do you think of Mason having a sister? Of her and Adrian's "arrangement"? What, and who, do you think the scar is from? Feel free to share your thoughts and criticisms in a review :). And to all you die hard Romitri stans don't worry, all will be as it should in due time. You can take it from Yeva._

 _Until next time and enjoy your weekend!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry, guys, I know it's been a while...what can I say? Life. But, I promise you all I haven't given up on this fic and to prove it I've got a little surprise for you all ;)_

* * *

"Adrian, if you're trying to keep me hostage I can tell you now it's not going to work." He'd already made me two drinks, and was in the middle of mixing another. I was starting to question if he was trying to get me drunk to have his way with me. Though, if he was, he'd need something a lot stronger than screwdrivers. After a couple years of consistent drinking, and my few deplorable blackouts, it was safe to say my tolerance had grown immensely. Even still, I was nowhere near as dependent as he was. With just the few drinks he had made for himself, he managed to empty half a bottle of whiskey already.

He sighed exasperatedly.

"Are we really not going to talk about—"

"No, drop it!" My voice was mere decibels away from becoming shouting. He flinched slightly. If the glass between my fingers suffered anymore pressure, it was sure to shatter. I was tired of going in these circles with him. He'd ask about my episode, I wouldn't tell him, he'd change the subject, we'd talk for a little bit, and then it was back to what happened. Full circle. It was starting to cause pins and needles in my temples. Part of me wished I could confide in him. Adrian wasn't just my bed buddy. He had become one of my closest, and only, friends. But, his persistence was really pissing me off. For once, why couldn't he take a hint?

"I'm just worried about you, Rose. You don't know how scared I was seeing you like that and not knowing shit about how to help. I was terrified." His voice dropped barely above a whisper. I'd been trying hard not to look him the eye since we got our clothes back on, but the pain in his voice couldn't be ignored. I turned to meet his eyes and immediately regretted it. The anger I'd been feeling was smothered by guilt. I'd never seen someone look at me with such anguish and concern. I'd had people beg me for their lives before with similar looks, minus the concern, sure. But never was such emotion directed toward me. Even though I wasn't meant to care for Adrian romantically, and still stupidly allowed myself to start to, I couldn't deny that he was someone of importance to me. He was begging me to tell him something, anything, to reassure him that it was going to be alright. That _I_ was going to be alright. Even if I had explained everything, I still wouldn't be able to give him that. With what I was about to do, I wasn't even sure myself that I could escape the shit storm coming this time.

I quickly looked away hoping he wouldn't see how much I was hiding from him. Hurting him hurt just as bad as hurting Lissa, but it's how it had to be.

 _That's all I seem to know how to do lately._

"I really need to go. I'll see you later, Adrian." I hastily grabbed my jacket and bolted toward the door. Thankfully, he didn't follow but something told me I'd be receiving quite a few texts from him later. Had I stayed a second longer, I feared I really might've just told him everything. Tears stung the back of my eyes. I used to love my job and working with my father. But now the older I got it just got more tiring. Before it was all about the adrenaline, the pride, the money, and the arrogance that came along with killing whoever was unfortunate enough to cross me. Now, I just wanted a simple, _quiet_ morning life. I was never going to truly be able to live a normal life; have friends, find love, start a family... Who would want to stay around me knowing the things I've done?

I couldn't help but chuckle darkly to myself, twenty-four years old and already having a midlife crisis. What were the odds? But, I don't regret the people I've killed. They were trash polluting everywhere they went, and the world was better off without them.

 _Most of them. Don't get all righteous now._

I only wish it came with less of a cost.

Getting home was a lot shorter than the ride over, since I was in a hurry and took a shortcut. The time to call Baba and get this over with was now. It was getting late where he was, they were seven hours ahead in Antalya, but this was urgent. He could suffer losing some sleep.

I put Leon back in the "garage" and started the walk home. The closer I got to the building the more this heavy, sinking feeling set in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. I didn't know what, but I didn't like it. After spending so long learning how to sense people's intentions, predict their movements, and track them you develop this sixth sense almost. Mine hadn't failed me yet. Definitely turned out to be the worst day to have left without a weapon. Looking around, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Old lady walking her dog, couple on a stroll, group of girlfriends stumbling into their building, etc. Despite it being New York, my street was actually pretty quiet usually. Not surprising considering how much it cost to live in this area. That only meant whoever was here, knew what they were doing. And they weren't leaving without doing what they came to do.

 _If they think it's going to be easy they're in for one hell of a rude awakening._

My suspicions were confirmed when I got to my door, which was left cracked open. There was no light peeking from behind the door, so I could only assume they were hoping to get the drop on me. Rookie mistake. Luckily, my doors were always well hinged and oiled for this very reason. I slipped in without a sound. I knew my apartment well enough that getting around in the dark was child's play. I certainly didn't have eyes like Vahşi or anything like that, but I could get around well enough to avoid tripping over a chair and busting my ass. From what I could see, there was nothing out of place inside. No tables bumped, chair moved, pillows misaligned, nothing. Whoever was here was someone I knew. Someone who knew my place well enough to get around. Vahşi hated strangers, and men normally, so anyone who managed to break in would've had to deal with her first. I didn't smell blood coming from anywhere, so that was written off. Passing through the kitchen the faint, earthy smell of wood, flowers and cocoa caught my attention. A scent I knew all too well; Vintage Narcissus Wuyi Oolong was only one person I knew that was willing to waste $6,500 on tea.

"The polite thing to do is at least call before you break into someone's house." I called up the stairs. Pavel revealed himself coming out from my weapons room, most likely, and started down. A mug in his hand, and a smile on his lips. Some threat.

"With all due respect, you're the last person I'd take lessons of proper etiquette from." I ignored his remark, turning on the living room light and waved towards a seat on the couch across from me. Despite knowing there was no immediate danger, I couldn't find it in myself to relax. There was no point in wasting time, we both knew he wasn't here for a friendly visit. And frankly, I wasn't feeling real confident about what was meant to happen in the near future, so I was desperately hoping for a real plan update.

"I hope the old man sent you with more information than that pamphlet Sydney brought." The smile on his lips vanished as it fell into a hard line. It would be straight business from here on out.

"Well, Rosemarie, I'm afraid this is going to take more than just a file on recent sightings. Your father wishes to see you. Now. You have twenty minutes to pack a bag, I'll be waiting in the car downstairs." If my jaw clenched any harder I probably would've snapped it in two. He had some nerve. _Five_ years. It's been five years since that asshole even thought of seeing his own daughter, and now suddenly I'm being summoned because his _majesty_ asks of me. For a job.

"Fine. I'll be down." He left without a second glance, most likely sensing the inevitable uproar brewing within me. The second he was out I sight, a plate shattered against the wall. Thrown by me. Thankfully, he was long gone so he hadn't heard the disturbance. Or, he just knew better than to bother me when I clearly needed my own space. Either way, I was grateful. Vahşi then made her appearance, once again weaving herself through my legs. I bent down slightly opening my arms, which she gladly jumped into. Her body started to quiver as purrs rippled throughout her muscles. I snuggled her closer to my chest, letting her purring work its magic on my own tensed muscles. They loosened up and I was much more relaxed.

"How do you do it?" I asked pecking her on the nose. She meowed, licking my hand with her barbed tongue and returned to the floor. Making her way over to curl up on the couch, as if her work was done. I laughed. Who says cats don't love their owners?

Probably wasn't going to be gone any longer than a day or two, so it took me half the time he gave me to pack. Most of the time was spent coaxing Vahşi into her cage. Traveling wasn't exactly one of her favorite past times. Plus I highly doubted Lissa would've been open to me calling after a day of not speaking to ask her to feed my cat, even though she loved Vahşi dearly, and I had a feeling Adrian needed his own space right about now. And he was skeptical enough, so the last thing I needed was him sneaking around while I'm gone.

But, it's not like she was burdening me. The real reason I wanted to bring her along was because Abe isn't a real big fan of cats. Not sure if it's allergies or what, but he's sworn to keep far away from them. And the feeling was mutual for Vahşi, also not entirely sure why, so this was going to be an interesting visit for everyone. I smiled evilly to myself. We'll see how long he wants me to stay. I still remember the first time I took her to visit. Let's just say I'm pretty sure he had some pants to dispose of later that on day.

"Well, Baba, you don't have to worry anymore cause I've finally found someone to keep me company in New York."

Pavel, at the sight of our sudden addition, grimaced.

"You know how your father feels about... _those_." My smile only grew as I placed her behind my seat.

"Why, what ever do you mean? And it'd be completely irresponsible to leave my dear pet to starve while I'm gone on such short notice. I'm sure Baba will understand." He chuckled nervously.

"I swear I haven't seen two people that butt heads like you two since the last time I saw my ex-wife. I knew nothing about this."

—Δ—

I'd forgotten how beautiful home was. Antalya is a coastal city right on the southwestern edge of Turkey, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. We used to live in Instanbul when I was born, but the old man grew tired of all the buzz from tourists coming in and wanted to raise me in a more private area. He still owns the house we have there, but we liked living out here a lot more. Tourists still visit on account of the "Turquoise Coast" as they call it, because of how bright and blue the waters are, but nowhere near as much as Instanbul. And he managed to find a very nicely sized house right at the edge of a hill overlooking a beach. Also bought the land surrounding it for good measure. So, it was definitely private. A gorgeous house really, practically a mansion, with four floors and a basement. There were over ten bedrooms, six bathrooms, a huge dining room, spiral staircases, marble floors, and every other luxury you'd expect in a mansion. He even had a home theater built in. I remembered playing hide and seek for hours running throughout the vast halls and countless rooms, eating at a table that I once thought was endless, playing on the beach and watching the sun set over the ocean every night from my balcony. It was like a dream. But, now after living in my one bedroom loft comfortably, it all just seemed like a waste of space. Especially for one man. Though I had a feeling he stayed here because he couldn't bear to part with the place I was raised in. They home _they_ raised me in. Together.

Pavel brought my bag in and I carried Vahşi. While it looked the same on the outside, it certainly didn't feel the same on the inside. Walking through the halls, and upstairs to my father's study I could feel how desolate our house had become. The day my mother died I lost both my parents. Despite how young I was when it happened, I could tell something changed within my father. Something died. He never really loved the same after that. It was like he only had so much left to give and the rest was kept locked away. Not that I blamed him. I was no better.

He sat away from the door in his office, which made it all the easier for me to sneak up behind him with Vahşi. After all these years retired from killing he had really lost his edge. Pavel was struggling to hold in his laughter behind me as I crept across the room to place her on gently on his desk. Glancing over his shoulder, I caught sight of the black and white photos he was studying sprawled across his lap. They were of Nathan, most likely his most recent location. I myself had to hold in my laughter as Vahşi skillfully iching her way closer and closer toward Baba, somehow avoiding the disastrous clutter on his desk. When she found the perfect position, she crouched down with her butt high in the air and pounced over his shoulder. Smack into his lap.

"Aman tanrim!" ( _Good God/Oh my God!_ ) Any rust in his joints was soon forgotten as he catapulted out his chair, pictures coating every inch of the floor. Vahşi bolted back over to me before the old man could flatten her. At this point it was impossible to hold my laughter and I was on the floor crying from how hard I was laughing.

"You're-really-losing your touch, Old Man." I looked up, expecting to see even the smallest ghost of a smile, and was met with the hardest gaze I'd ever seen. Fear wasn't often a word I'd use when in the presence of my father, but right now it was pretty damn close to what I was feeling. His dark eyes were practically black, and there wasn't the slightest bit of warmth in his face. Five years is a good amount of time, but looking at him now you'd think it'd been ten. My father was always a very well kept together man; cleanly shaven, great hair, always in shape, expensively accessorized and eccentrically dressed. He could've easily been mistaken for a man half his age, but now he was one trip down the stairs away from the ER. He had lost a concerning amount of weight, hadn't shaven in what had to be months, and from the deep bags under his eyes anyone could tell he wasn't getting anywhere near a healthy amount of sleep. But, that wasn't what frightened me. It was his eyes. They were empty.

"Rosemarie," His lips a hard line, "When are you going to grow up? Did you forget I called you here on business? This isn't a game, we are about to go to _war_. I thought you could handle it, given all that I've taught you, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe I put too much faith in you. But what did I expect? You already allowed yourself to be compromised once, and ever since then I've sensed a hesitation in you. A reluctance. You've grown weak." My mouth went dry. Normally I would've spit a never ending number of harsh insults back at him and told him to go fuck himself, but I had none. Had I still been my old, adolescent self I just might've hit him. The fire that eternally drove me had extinguished. I hadn't felt so small since...well, I was small. He bent down to pick up the pictures scattered across the floor, without so much as a second glance my way.

"Rose, why don't you go unpack? Your father and I need to discuss boring business." I hadn't realized Pavel had returned until he was picking me up off the floor and escorting me out of the room. The sympathetic look he gave me said he'd heard more than enough to know I was all but okay. Pavel to the rescue once again, like always. I dropped Vahşi off in my room, making sure to close the door before she found anymore trouble, and decided to go for a run on the beach to clear my head. Living close to the bridge in New York was nice, but nothing compared to the real thing. There was no place more beautiful than home. Despite that sorry excuse for a man being here, it was my happy place. But, before heading out I found myself taking a detour.

I used to think it was creepy how he kept all her stuff here, like he was waiting for her ghost to come back or something. Now, I couldn't have been more relieved. He kept most of her stuff in their old room, but that wasn't really _hers._ Don't get me wrong my mom loved my dad, but there was really only one place in this house she could be herself.

Even amidst all the dust and darkness, the pigments were just as lively as the day she painted them. My mother loved painting. It was actually pretty funny since she was known as a hardass, and with my dad's line of work she didn't have much choice. But, when she painted it was like she was a completely different person. She was serene, passionate, and unbending. She was free. Even as young as I was, I could tell when she was with Abe she was guarded. As if there was something she had to protect herself from. Starting to think I was the only person who saw who she truly was, even if it was just for an instant...

 _"Mommy, I was looking for you." We were supposed to play hide-and-seek when she and dad were finished talking, but she never came to my room like she said she would. Instead, I find her halfway across the house. I ventured over on a whim, I didn't actually think there was anything here since we hardly used even half the space in this house. When I entered the room she seemed startled at first, but smiled. It was a brilliant smile that lit the entire room._

 _"What's all this?" The room wasn't very big, compared to the others in our oversized home, but it was filled wall to wall with paintings. All were different sizes and shapes, but held the same central theme. I couldn't recognize the place they were depicting, but it was clear each were within the same vicinity of one another._

 _"Oh, just...home." She picked me up in her arms and took me on a tour around the room. I'd seen paintings before, there were a few pretty expensive ones that decorated our walls, but none of them were as beautiful as these. Looking into each one was like looking out a window. I'd never been to this place in my life, but through the paintings it felt like I knew it so well. Glancing over at her, I saw her smile had fallen a little. There was something more pressing that caught my small mind's attention, however._

 _"But, we're home now. This is our home, with Baba. Right?" She chuckled, lightly stroking my cheek._

 _"Of course it is, Rose, but you know Baba and I both had our own homes before we met each other." This was news to me since we'd never talked anything about the past or our family or anything. It was just us here in this big house, isolated from the world._

 _"And, my home was beautiful. I didn't live in a big house like ours now, but I was just as happy and my parents loved me just as much as your father and I love you. I didn't get to see my father as much as you do, but when I did he taught me everything that makes me who I am. He was in the army and taught me how to fight, how to hunt, how to survive. But, most importantly, he taught me how to be strong. Never let anyone stifle you, Rosemarie. No one. Roses have thorns for a reason."_

I never met that Janine again, it didn't help that she was killed soon after. That day her eyes were just as fiery as her unruly, red hair and I never forgot that expression. Even at such a young age it sparked something in me. I wanted to be just as strong, just as passionate, just as lethal as she was. There was so much I didn't know about her that I wanted to. After that whenever Baba was busy, and I was supposed to be studying with Pavel, I started following her around, and to say I was surprised by the new person I met would be an understatement. Around 5 o'clock every evening, right before it was time to cook dinner, she'd go out to the shed at the back of the house we used for storage. Or at least, what I thought was used for storage. She had her own personal training space inside complete with a punching bag, dummy targets, weapons rack, and plenty of equipment for strength training. Every day I followed her out there and watched her train, for what reason I didn't know. But by how intense and focused she was doing it, I could tell she loved it. She moved so fluidly and gracefully as if this was what she was born to do. Hathaway women truly were dangerous. She was the reason I started training and learning how to fight, but I never told her. I knew this was a secret she wanted well kept, and I respected that.

 _I only wish I could talk with her about it now..._

I took one last, longing look around the room and finally composed myself. How could I let him get to me like that? Since when did I care what _he_ thought of me? Or anyone else for that matter. There was one thing he was right about though, this was just another job I needed to do. But, when it was over, so was I. He'd have to find someone else to blindly do his dirty work.

I made my way back over to his office and bumped into Pavel just as he was exiting.

"Oh, Rose, I was just coming to get you." He offered me a small smile, but I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. When I entered the room, my father was still sitting on the same high horse as when I'd left.

"Look here, Old Man, only reason I'm here is because of this job. I assumed you asked me here because you had some urgent information for us to discuss that wasn't safe being sent overseas, so here I am. Don't think for one second that I need you because I don't. _You_ need _me._ But, if you'd like to take this job on your own be my guest. Obviously you don't or else I wouldn't be here. So, remember I've been doing this without Daddy holding my hand for a while and sure as shit don't need it now. So, be a good informant like you usually are, and stay the hell out of way. Whatever new information you have you can leave it at my door, or tell Pavel and we will go over the details. You and I have nothing else to discuss." Before leaving I reveled in his clenched jaw and outraged expression.

 _Hurts falling from that high, doesn't it?_

Pavel gave me a stern look that said he'd be coming to scold me later, I shrugged it off. Old Man had it coming. On my way back to my room, I couldn't help but grin to myself. Maybe some good did still come out of this trip after all.

* * *

 **Dimitri POV**

"You do understand what this means for us, don't you?" I'd been in Galina's office for hours while she went over her plan for finally taking down the serpent once and for all. Frankly, I did understand her vision, but it couldn't have been any less of a mistake in my eyes. Her plan was to play Nathan, that part I fully welcome, thus giving Zmey an opportunity to take him out and then we'd be free to retaliate when they least expected it. However, there were multiple holes in her plot. One, he's too smart to not know that killing one of our major American distributors would force us to respond. Two, starting this war would cause nothing less of a battle royale. Once people hear that Zmey and Galina are finally at odds, there's nothing stopping them from trying to take this as their opportunity to take one, if not both of them, out and rise to the top. If this was to be done, it needed to be done under the radar and not made some full spectacle. But, she never wanted my input on anything before, so I knew she wouldn't suddenly start wanting it now.

 _I don't know why I can't shake the feeling that she's not telling me everything..._

"Yes, хозяин. I understand."(Boss). She smiled at my obedience and motioned for me to come to her. When I approached her desk she stood up and reached to cup my face with both hands.

"I can always count on you." I suppressed a gag as she kissed me on my cheek awfully close to the corner of my mouth. Back when she was living a semi-honest life, though now that I know her I'd say it was most likely a cover, Galina was my mentor at school. The older I got the more she seemed to have no problem blurring that line. Frankly, it was revolting. She never tried anything serious, thank God, but that made it no less inappropriate. Thankfully that was my dismissal, I all but ran from her office. And just my luck, the greatest pain in my ass was waiting outside.

"So, how'd it go?" From the Cheshire grin on his face it was obvious he already knew.

"Not now, Aleksei." The last thing I was in the mood for was his childish attempts at provoking me.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to give that stick up your ass a break once in a while. I'm sure it could use a rest too, and that's exactly why I'm doing my best friend duty and taking you out for a drink. Hopefully some action too, God knows you could use it. How long has it been anyway? Since you and Tasha broke up." I took several deep breaths, pinching the bridge of my nose. I loved Aleksei like a brother, but he was really asking for it sometimes.

"First, I can think of countless reasons why that's none of your business. Second, I'll pass. And you should really lay off that bar, you know what happened last time. If you come to ask me about anymore rashes, you won't have to worry about getting them anymore. Or anyone else for that matter." He paled at my implication, but nodded in understanding.

"Fine. But, I will be stopping by later. I know when something is going on with you, and you of all people should know how much of a pain I can be when I want to be." He pulled me in for a hug, thankfully without another word, and went on his way. No matter how annoying he could be sometimes, I was happy to have him still in my life. He was the only family I really had left, seeing as he was Ivan's cousin. Still find it hard to believe they weren't brothers with how alike they were sometimes.

Normally, I'd go for a run to clear my head, or pace around my room till I had some kind of solution to my problem, but I was too tired for either of those. Aleksei was right about one thing, I needed a break. For now, I'd have to settle with reading. I hung my duster up by the door and grabbed the book off the nightstand. We weren't really allowed to go that far, so the old West was about the farthest I'd ever get. Plus, my books were one of the few things that kept me sane in this place. Since Galina kept us living in some very nicely furnished suites, complete with kitchen areas, living here was a little more bearable. But, no matter how much you spruce it up a cage is still a cage. And I grew tired of mine years ago.

I made the mistake of reading in bed and soon lost the battle with my fatigue.

 _The longer I walked the more I started to realize Mama might've been right about grabbing a coat before I left. Winter was still a little ways away, but the temperature had been dropping lower than usual lately. Tonight it was low enough to cause goosebumps along my arms and the hairs to stand up on the back of my neck. This was the last time I'd be leaving in the middle of the night cause Karolina was having rocky road ice cream and dill pickle cravings._

 _The closer I got to the house, however, I noticed something was off. Usually you could hear Paul screaming, Viktoria and Sonja arguing, and Karolina scolding them from down the block. Now, it couldn't be more silent. I started to think maybe they were sleeping, but Mama would never just go to bed knowing I was still out. Something was wrong. I dropped the grocery bag in my hand and sprinted towards the house. They were sure to leave the door open, so I could at least save time not having to fumble for my keys._

 _Of course, the door was locked._

 _"Mama! Karolina! Open the door!" All the lights were off so there wasn't much to be seen inside, but I had this strong unsettling feeling like there was someone else here. And I highly doubted they were lost and just so happened to stumble across our house. My heart was beating so wildly in my chest the sound was deafening. Each second that ticked by was making it harder to keep my composure. Any other situation I'd be checking the perimeter, calculating possible entry points, and looking for signs of intrusion just like we were taught, but this was my family and I didn't have time for proper protocol. I barely had time to think a straight thought. Only thing running through my mind was get in that house. Spotting a large rock a couple feet away from our porch, I found my way in. I quickly picked it up and was reeling back to throw it through the front window when I heard a sound that stopped my heart cold._

 _A gunshot rang through the house._

 _Two._

 _Three._

 _Then, a haunting scream I'd recognize anywhere. My mother's. Followed by another, and another until they all started to blend together into one shrill shriek of torment._

 _I had it right there, the rock in my hands ready to shatter the glass, but I couldn't move. Every muscle in my body was frozen, I could barely feel my own chest moving as I exhaled. Only thing I could do was stand there and listen to what could only be the slaughter of the people I loved more than anything in this world, and it was excruciating. My tears burned as they ran down my chilled cheeks. The more I desperately tried to move, the heavier and heavier my body got until I collapsed in a pitiful heap on the ground. The screams and gunfire kept echoing in my mind, splitting my skull. My breathing became erratic as I struggled, and failed, to keep my body under my own control. I was feeling so much all at once; confusion, anger, despair, hopelessness, and an overall aching as if my heart had been ripped from my chest. If I didn't get it together fast, I was going to lose consciousness._

 _"No, no. This isn't happening. It's not real, it's not real. I won't let this happen." I kept repeating to myself, hoping that if I said it enough it'd become truth._

 _"Is that really what you tell yourself?" A voice cooed silencing the screams. I didn't need to see her face to know exactly who she was, as if I could ever forget. Just to dig the knife in deeper, she tilted my chin up so we were face to face. Even amidst all the darkness, I saw her deep brown eyes boring into me clear as day. A smile that probably killed men all on its own taunting me. I wanted to look away, but she held me there. The longer I was trapped there in her eyes I started to see through them; images of my family all lying in their beds with a gun pointed between their eyes playing in my mind. It felt so real, I might as well have been the one pulling the trigger._

 _"You know just as well as I do that you can't save them. Not from me. You can barely save yourself." Before I could so much as blink, she pulled out a blade and cleanly severed one of the arteries in my neck. The last thing I saw before falling into nothingness was her loosely curled hair blowing in the wind._

I shot out of bed clutching at my throat trying to stop the blood loss. It took me a second to register that I wasn't bleeding out on the ground, but in fact still in bed at Galina's estate. No immediate threats here. The thought crossed my mind to call Mama, but I immediately dismissed it. I couldn't risk anyone finding them. Ever. But, it wasn't likely that anyone would seeing as I had them hidden away somewhere even I didn't know. They move locations every couple years, and I haven't spoken to them since their first move. Not that they wanted to speak to me anyway... They don't know what I do, but they know it's not very wholesome and that I'm the reason they can never live peacefully again. A small price, however. I was more than happy knowing they were safe from _her_.

 _And me._

Going back to sleep clearly wasn't an option, so it looked like I was going to be working overtime. Not like that was anything new. I stretched the leftover lethargy out of my muscles and was about to sit at my desk when—

"Dimitri! C'mon open up, don't make this hard." Damn.

 _Maybe if I'm quiet enough he'll go away._

"Don't make me get Tasha. Sure she'd be more than happy to—" Before he could finish that empty threat I was at the door shooting what could only be daggers. He shrunk back slightly, but still kept his smug smirk.

"The infamous Dimitri Belikov, man whose very name causes men to tremble in fear, is afraid of a blue eyed, black haired woman half his size. Sad. Now, you going to let this coffee get cold or what?" He coaxed offering me the steaming tumbler. From what I could smell it wasn't spiked, so I saw no harm in taking it. Lucky for him I urgently needed it.

"Whatever this is, make it quick. I have real work to do." He sighed shaking his head.

"You know one day, Belikov, you're going to meet someone who'll melt that icy heart of yours. I will be right there to say I told you so, and it's about damn time." I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the files on my desk.

"Her again huh..." It was no mystery that I had something like what you'd call an archenemy. Here she was called Mavka; a female spirit said to entice young men to their deaths. Rosemarie Mazur, daughter of Zmey, had a track record longer than anyone even knew. Her head was up for a huge price ever since she escaped Galina, but no one dared to ever go after her. No one knew much about her except that she was said to be astoundingly beautiful, never missed her target, and was practically bred to kill. No one except me. We'd been playing this deadly cat and mouse game for as long as I could remember. I knew everything there was to know about her fighting styles, weapon preferences, disguises, and tactical maneuvers. Even her weaknesses. And she knew me just as well. We were so evenly matched that every time we crossed paths we'd get a hair short of killing the other. It was infuriating. Not only because I had years of experience on her and it hurt my pride a little to be bested by her, but because it was my fault she escaped from us in the first place. My shortcoming that cost my brother his life...

It went against my morals to kill a woman, but she was the exception.

"Considering she's number one on our priority list and is single handedly responsible for cutting down our personnel, yes. Her again." I growled, more so to myself than him. He took the file I'd just grabbed and pulled a chair over across from me.

"Look, Dimitri, you know I miss him too. More than anyone. And even more than that I want her to pay, but not at the price of your peace. I understand how important this is to you, but you can't let it wreck you. Look at you. When's the last time you had a good nights sleep? Or something to eat other than black bread and coffee?" As much I hated to admit it, it was possible he was right. Rose was always top of my list, but for the past year she's become the only thing on it. I spent most, if not all, hours of my day figuring out how to track her down. When I wasn't doing that I was either speaking with Galina, or training the new hired guns. And I couldn't deny that I hadn't been taking the best care of myself lately. But, I just couldn't bring myself to take a break. I owed it to Ivan.

"I can't rest while she's still out there. And this isn't some obsession, in case you forgot it's my assignment. Galina expects me to terminate her, and with how many times I continue to fail she's losing patience." He snorted.

"As if she'd get rid of you. You and I both know she'd keep you around as her personal plaything before that." I shuddered at the thought.

"Even so. This has to be done, and depending on how Galina's plan works out I might actually have her this time. It'll finally be over."

"Well, don't hold out on me now." Aleksei wasn't exactly a killer, but he definitely had enough knowledge of the business.

"Galina plans on using Nathan as bait to force Zmey into play. Obviously he'll send Rose to kill him, and being one of our most valuable—"

"Galina will have free reign to counter and potentially take him out." Still surprised me how quick he was without having any experience. If I was to ever need a partner, he'd be the first one I called.

"Exactly." His brows furrowed and I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he connected the same pieces together that I had earlier.

"But with the two of them fighting to be king of the hill, won't that just stir up the smaller competition? What's to stop them from intervening? Or worse banding together." That last thought actually hadn't occurred to me. What if the smaller operations decided to cooperate? There weren't a whole lot of them here in Russia specifically, but if they decided to storm the castle together we might have a serious problem. But, then again, what did I care? Matter of fact, that might just be the opening I've been looking for.

"Aleksei, you're a genius! That's exactly what we need." He looked at me as if I'd grown a third eye.

"Did I give you the wrong cup? There might've been a little something extra in there."

"No, listen, this could be our chance. While Galina sends me and Nathan out into play, I need you to send out anonymous messages to every dealer and illegal distributor we have on file. Rile them up, get them to organize and when they attack we make our move out of here. Galina will be too busy hiding, and she'll expect me to be on the front anyway. By the time it all ends we'll be long gone." He took a moment to process everything I just laid out. Frankly, this was probably the best chance we'd ever get at leaving this place. Aleksei and I were both forced into this life, we never had a choice. For years I've been waiting to finally get out from under Galina's thumb, and not just for me. There was one person in particular I needed to keep safe...so far, I've been failing miserably. But, if this works out we could be free. May not be able to live a completely normal life with my reputation, but it'd certainly be better than selling my soul. With how long it's been I'm not even sure how much I have left to salvage.

"Even _if_ this works, and that's a big if, where do we go? And what about Rose?"

"I was thinking Europe. We have some status there, but not nearly as much as here and America. And as for Rose, I have to take her out when she moves to kill Nathan. It's the best place since she's coming to me. Otherwise, we'll most likely lose her." He stood up and started to pace for a little bit. I could understand his anxiousness. This was a huge gamble we were taking. I'm sure we were sharing similar thoughts.

What if they didn't take the bait?

What if we were spotted during our escape?

What if Galina caught word of our plan?

The last one wasn't that likely, but if it were to happen we'd certainly be put through a fate worse than death. If this was a monarchy, and it practically was, we were about to commit high treason. In the United Kingdom the penalty was life imprisonment, we could only hope to be so lucky. Me especially. There was a lot to lose, but I had faith in this plan. There wasn't much we personally had to do besides get the ball rolling, so as long as we made sure there was absolutely no way to trace it back to us we'd be fine. He was better off, I was the one with the hard part. Taking down Rose once and for all. This time, however, the odds were in my favor since she has no idea I'd be there. I have the advantage, and I wasn't going to let her slip through my fingers again.

"Galina isn't sending Nathan and I out until next week, so you have some time to get everything together. I'll send word as soon as Nathan is out of the picture, and when I do you send the messages out. Then, we just sit back and wait for everything else to fall into place." He shook his head, chuckling.

"Call me a fool, but alright. I'll do it. I'm trusting this plan. I'm trusting _you_. I sure hope you know what you're doing, Dimitri."

 _That makes two of us._

"Well, I've got work to do. Ill keep you updated. Get some _real_ rest, I'm serious. You're going to need as much as you can get." He pulled me in for another hug, this one tighter than earlier. When he pulled back he placed his hand on my shoulder, which was amusing since I had a good couple inches in height on him.

"We got this." He smiled, and for a split second he was the spitting image of Ivan. They already looked a lot alike, same blonde hair and light brown eyes, but sometimes it was uncanny. And he acted so much like him; same charm, charisma, quick thinking, and unmatched ability to annoy anyone to death or themselves into a beating. It was still hard to believe they were only cousins.

I couldn't help but smile in return. Something I hadn't genuinely done in a long time.

When he left it was just her and I once again. Like always. These were the same pictures and files I'd seen time and time again, but each time felt just like the first. Just as disappointing, confusing, and infuriating. I've allowed her to get away with too much, but this time she would finally atone for what she's done. Maybe then I could finally get past it...and her.

* * *

 _Have you guessed the surprise? It's essentially two chapters in one, to make up for the long break I made this one twice as long as a regular chapter. Hopefully it's still as good. Now we've got Dimitri in the mix and Ivan's brother! Please let me know what you think of Aleksei, and the rest of the chapter. I'll update as soon and as often as I can. I promise the big confrontation is coming soon *rubs hands together menacingly*_

 _Until next time and I hope everyone is having a good start to their week!_


	4. Chapter 4

"I don't care what happens between you two, he is still your father and even more importantly your boss. You need to show him the respect he deserves. I taught you better than that." It felt like I was back at the academy. Pavel might as well have been my old hag of a principal, Kirova, attempting to punish me for calling my old AP Calculus teacher, Stan, a dick. Again. And just like back then, I couldn't care less about what I did "wrong". Stan and my father were actually a lot alike. I was top in Stan's class, yet he loved to single me out for anything and everything. Both two pompous assholes that no one could never do anything right for. And I wasn't about to crawl on my knees for anyone.

"So, I'm just supposed to sit there and let him talk shit to me? Let him act like I haven't been doing all the work that _he's_ too weak to do himself. I know you heard everything he said, you're just going to ignore that?" Tears started to well up in my eyes as I thought back to his harsh words.

 _"You already allowed yourself to be compromised once, and ever since then I've sensed a hesitation in you. A reluctance. You've grown weak."_

"He had the nerve to say that...t-that what happened in Russia 5 yeas ago was my fault." I pulled my knees up to my chest as if it would somehow protect me. Out of all the things he said, that cut me deepest. He didn't know the full story of what happened to me during my wonderful stay at Galina's estate, but what happened to women in her "care" wasn't exactly a mystery. And it was _his_ idea to send me into the belly of the beast in the first place.

I'd always thought even though I worked for him, above all, he'd still be my father. He'd still see me as a priority, not an asset. Obviously that was a foolish hope.

"That's not what I'm saying, Rose. In no way do I condone what your father said, it was cruel and utterly disrespectful. But, no matter what you can't let him or anyone else unravel you. Your father has his issues, and that's my problem to help fix. You only have to focus on Rose. What I saw in there wasn't the Rose Hathaway I helped raise. The Rose Hathaway I raised is stronger than that. Nothing in this world could break her." Pavel had become more of a father to me than Abe could hope to be, and it was because of times like these. He did what fathers were supposed to do; protect you, support you, guide you. I was more than lucky to have him.

I smiled and pulled him in for a hug. He wasn't usually a touchy person, but he made exceptions for me. Nearly all my troubles were washed away there in his comforting hold.

"I'm always here for _you_ , Rose. You're just as much my family as Abe's. Remember that."

"Thank you, Pavel. Really. I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've ever done for me." He pulled back and smiled his rare, full silver smile.

"Somebody had to help keep you in line." I laughed. A deep, belly laugh that brought pain to my abs. A while was an understatement for how long it'd been since I had one of those, especially in this house. It almost made me forget that come next week, I'd be making the worst possible choice I could and my life would be changing for the worse.

Just then, the predicament I was in really started to sink in. If I went through with killing Nathan, I'd have the fattest target on my back imaginable. Sure, I'd already accumulated a couple bounties on my head from over the years, but this would be greater than all of those combined. I might as well run around with a giant sign that says, "Hey, everyone, I'm worth a ton of money! Come kill me!". The Old Man gets to hide safely out here, and I'd be damned if I moved back in, and I have to live on the run for the rest of my life. Totally fair.

But, the blame wasn't all his. Majority, without a doubt, but not all. When I was sixteen, my dad finally told me what really happened to my mother and what kind of "work" he was into. That was the moment I decided that I would spend the rest of my life avenging my mom, and killing anyone who ever dared to threaten my family again. After that, Abe started teaching me the ins and outs of his operation and how to run it if anything was to happen to him. On my seventeenth birthday that following year, he started teaching me how to kill and Pavel took me out in the field. I was young, so being paid to take out scum bags plus training to handle guns twice my size was badass to me. I felt like a guardian of the night ridding the world of evil demons that were taking the lives of innocent people and feeding on them. Which is hilarious to me now, because I know better. There's no difference between me and the people I kill. We've all got blood on our hands in one form or another. I just don't take pride in it anymore.

"Pavel...you think this'll ever be over?" He gave me a sad smile. Deep down I knew the answer, but I was childishly hoping for something. Anything.

"For you, Rose, I truly hope so." He took my hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze. It offered some comfort, but not much reassurance.

"I'll let you get some rest. We have a lot to go over in the morning." He kissed me on the forehead and rose to leave. Before closing the door he turned back once again, "Despite how he acts, your father does love you. More than you know." I held back a snort out of respect. Instead I gave him a tight smile and nodded.

 _He has a real great way of showing it._

I would've been lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to a good nights sleep. I was way more exhausted than I wanted to admit, and it was finally catching up with me. It felt a little weird sleeping in my old room, but more so it was nostalgic. Never in a million years did I think I'd be back here in this room, but here I was. And of course it was left untouched, so it was like I never left. My heart swelled at the picture still sitting in its usual spot on my nightstand. I remembered that day like it was yesterday. Abe was gone on one of his many trips to check out a new supplier, so it was just my mom and I for the day. She took me out on the beach for a picnic. We had a basket, blanket and everything. After eating we took a walk along the water, built sandcastles, and she even braided my hair. But, the best part of that day was when she convinced Pavel to fly us out to Cappadocia for a horse riding tour. It was one of the very few times we got to leave the house and explore farther than our huge backyard. Cappadocia is a big change compared to where we live by the ocean. There's canyons, valleys and homes carved from them, and tall rock formations that looked like mountains to me then. It was truly gorgeous.

The picture was taken on our last stop on the trail; the Goreme Open Air Museum. We walked among century old rock-cut churches with stunning wall paintings. We were standing by one of the paintings, my mother was explaining what it was about to me and started to tickle me. We ended up turning around in the midst of my squirming and laughing, then Pavel caught the picture. We looked so carefree and happy. Abe of course wasn't happy when he found out about our sudden escapade, so it was our first and our last. That was one of the best days of my life, one my favorite with her.

I did all my nightlies and climbed into bed. Wasn't nearly as comfortable as my perfectly tailor-made one at home, but it'd have to do. Vahşi took her usual spot by my side, offering a familiar coziness with her warmth and low purring. I closed my eyes and hoped for the best.

—Δ—

"Rose...prensesim, wake up we have a lot to go over. Your breakfast is going to get cold and I'm not dealing with a hungry, crabby Rose. So, get up and eat." ( _My_ _princess_ ). It took me a second to come completely to my senses, but I was awake enough to hear that god awful pet name he used to call me when I was a child. Back then it was cute, but now it was just insulting and cringey. He left before I had a chance to rip him a new one for calling me that, but that was all soon forgotten the second I caught whiff of what he brought me to eat. It's been a while, but you can't mistake sucuklu yumurta. Spicy Turkish sausage and eggs, my mother used to make it every morning. The pungent seasonings and frying sausage filled the entire house. I was too young to handle the spice then, but now I ache for it. Any lingering fatigue I had was long gone after I took that first bite. I couldn't stop the moan that escaped my lips.

 _Thank God Pavel left or this might've been awkward._

I couldn't remember the last time I had a good, traditional meal. It was most likely since mom died, the Old Man was awful in the kitchen. It almost made me miss home, miss being here. Almost.

I finished my meal with gusto and quickly hopped in the shower. Despite the disaster that was yesterday, I was actually starting to feel...comfortable. I needed to get out of here and back to New York asap. Unfortunately, that meant the sooner I spoke with my father the better. If there is one thing he and I have in common, it's our unwavering ability to hold a grunge. Especially against people that try to get the best of or blatantly disrespect us. I pretty much checked both off that list yesterday, so I was positive he wasn't going to take that lying down. This was going to be a very eventful day.

You could imagine my surprise when I entered our main parlor room and only Pavel was seated. Maybe I was wrong.

"Are we waiting or..." Part of me was hoping the answer was yes. If he wasn't here now that could only mean he was looking to drag this out, which I was not at all in the mood for. The sooner we hugged and made up, completely figure of speech, the sooner we could get down to business, and the sooner I could head for the hills.

"No. I'm afraid something came up with your father, he's having a meeting in his study. He might be joining later." I should've felt a weight lifting off my chest, but instead I felt the opposite. My father and I's relationship had been ripping at the seams since the day my mom was killed. Now, it was practically hanging by a thread. As much as I hated to admit it...I still needed my dad. I always told myself when I got older I'd run away and then he'd be out of sight, out of mind. But, even I couldn't deny that I wished things could go back to how they were. Even without her here.

"Oh. Well, no point in wasting time. So, I'm all ears." I took a seat on the couch and propped my feet up. Something told me this was going to take a while.

A while was an understatement. I can't tell you how long we discussed the plan for intercepting Nathan, but it had certainly been a few hours. We went over where he was coming from, where he was going, who was going to be with him, what shipment he'd be bringing in, how much it was worth, my entry points, exit points, total number of targets, and all possible delays. If that sounds like a lot to you, imagine how I felt sitting through the extended version.

The plan itself was simple. We got a tip-off that Nathan was on his way to a deal with Aaron Drozdov at one of his private hotels in Vegas, and he'd be arriving there next week with two escorts. They were meeting at 3PM, top floor of the hotel in Drozdov's penthouse suit. Aaron would be giving him $500,000 to seal his contract with Galina, and then Nathan would be on his way back to Russia. In and out easy. My objective was to get there before both Nathan and Aaron without alerting anyone, and hide on the penthouse floor until they arrived. As far as when I would kill him I had two options. I could either break up their transaction and kill both of them, or wait until after it was done and get Nathan on his way out. I was leaning toward the latter. Aaron Drozdov isn't exactly heavily known on the illegal crime scene, but he was just as bad. He's a wealthy businessman that manages his own hotels and a few casinos along the Las Vegas strip. But, he found guilty pleasure in the commercial sex trade.

Remember those guys trying to buy Liam Neeson's daughter and all those other girls in Taken? Aaron would've been one of them. He has a habit of purchasing girls for pleasure and whatever else, selling them again when he gets tired of them, and then purchasing more to replace them. As far as I was concerned he was just as bad, if not worse, as any drug dealer, murderer or thief. A lot of people would be much better off without him.

Really all I had to do was not get caught, not like that'd be a challenge for me. Even if I was to be seen, I could easily manipulate my way out. Thanks to my curvy figure, and desert goddess looks flirting my way out of anything was one of my specialties. Though I hated resorting to that, it felt like a cheap tactic. I had too much skill and training to run around acting like a femme fatale. But, if I absolutely had to do it I would. On the upside, it does at least save me energy and bullets.

"Sounds simple enough. He better be paying me triple the usual for this." When I said it I wasn't really serious, but the more I thought about it the more plausible it became. I was seriously risking my ass with this, the least he could do was reward me a little extra.

"Speaking of that, I may as well tell you now that your father plans on sending you away after this is done." I attempted to raise a brow, and failed.

 _Send away sounds an awful lot like get rid of._

"He's going to get you a new passport, ID, you will in fact be given extra pay along with your usual, and he's giving you his old vacation cottage in Paris to stay in. You will be free to explore Paris as long as you have your ID, stay within the city, and don't blow your cover. But, with all the tourist traffic there that shouldn't be a problem." I was at a loss for words. This was actually very generous of him...

"What's the catch?" As good as it sounded, there's no way I was just going to accept that he suddenly wanted to send me on a well deserved vacation. Especially now that we weren't exactly on the best of terms. I can't remember the last time we were.

Pavel sighed, "He just wants you to be safe. For once, take things as they are. You wanted a break, right? This is it, be happy." As usual, he was right. Even if there was some secret agenda behind this, and I still believed there might be, I might as well enjoy it while I can. Hell, I might even be able to squeeze however much funding I need out of him for this little trip. But, there was still one thing I didn't know.

"How long is this vacation supposed to last exactly?" He looked away, refusing to meet my eyes. And there it was. This wasn't a vacation, it was a relocation.

"No."

"Rose, think about it for a second. You know what a risk this is. Galina will have everyone at her disposal out to kill you, and who's to say they won't find you in New York? You've been there long enough, people go around asking questions and someone is bound to point you out. This is the best thing, a clean slate." I snorted.

"Best for who? It took me long enough finally finding a place that I could call home, and believe it or not I have people that I don't want to lose. And, I've already fucked myself on that enough. I'm not just going to abandon my life. Galina can send the national guard if she wants, let those assholes try and take me down."

"Annesi gibi inatçı." (Stubborn as her mother). He groaned under his breath, rubbing his temples. I actually took that as a compliment.

"Three weeks. We can discuss the finer details later, but you can't argue your way out of that. So, I suggest you brush up on your French."

"Je préfère brosser mon pied dans le cul de quelqu'un." (I would rather brush my foot in someone's ass).

"Prudent." (Careful). Our meeting finally drew to a close, and we both went our separate ways. I still wasn't happy about potentially being forcefully uprooted, but it would be nice to get away from everything. Pretend I live a nice, normal, peaceful life for once.

But, I still couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming. And I wasn't sure I was ready for it.

 **A Week Later**

"You're perfectly on schedule, Rose. You have approximately twenty minutes to get into position before Aaron and Nathan arrive." Pavel radioed into my ear. Getting into Aaron's hotel was surprisingly much easier than I was expecting. Especially for the day he was meeting with a well known criminal on illegal business. Lucky for me, he had some very incompetent security. I'd gone through the entire hotel already and barely broken a sweat.

"You've taken care of the cameras, right? What he lacks in security, he certainly makes up for in surveillance." He had at least a dozen cameras on every floor.

"I've been doing this since before you were born, küçük kız." (Little girl). I suppressed an eye roll since he wasn't there to witness it. Usually Pavel accompanied me on nearly all my jobs, but this one we had to minimize all possible errors. If someone spotted a strange black SUV parked nearby, it'd be over. So, instead he was a couple miles away in the city keeping an eye out and taking care of all surveillance.

The hotel had a very simple plan, so each floor was exactly the same; the layout was square, there were two elevators on each floor at opposite sides, emergency staircase doors, a corner for security, and a bunch of rooms. I had the security rounding schedule, so I knew who would be on each floor at what time. And there weren't that many on duty anyway. Assuming it's because not many of his staff are aware of their boss' sketchy, disgusting hobbies.

The penthouse floor was the only difference. The entire floor was like an apartment with a hallway around the perimeter for security to patrol. We got every floor plan except this one, for some reason he wanted to keep it private. So, when I got inside I'd be on my own as far as finding somewhere to wait until it was time.

"Excuse me! Thank God I found someone, I could've sworn Aaron text me and asked me to drop by but I'm starting to think I got my days mixed up. You wouldn't be able to help me, would you? I hate that I came all this way for nothing." I came up on the two guards and put on my damsel in distress routine fluttering my eyelashes, pouting my glossed lips, and leaning close on one of their arms. He melted at my touch immediately, and the other had his eyes on my well rounded lower half. It took all the strength I had not to break his nose. Not before it was time anyway. I was silently praying he wouldn't notice the silhouette of my guns. Corsets can't conceal everything.

"Well, we wouldn't want that. Mr. Drozdov won't be in for a few minutes, but we'd be happy to keep you company until then." He suggested wiggling his eyebrows. I think I threw up in my mouth. This had gone on long enough. I had my hand positioned on his wrist already, so that made my job easy. I grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back, pushing him forward until he fell on his knee. Before he could recuperate I snapped it in two and knee'd him in the face, effectively knocking him unconscious. His friend finally snapped out of his shock over a woman my size taking down his friend in less than a minute, and lunges at me. I quickly sidestepped, elbowing him in the ribs.

"You little bitch." He hissed. I smirked, cracking my knuckles.

"I get that a lot." He lunges at me again, predicting my sidestep like I planned, and moved to get me in a chokehold. I easily ducked under his arm and got a lock on his elbow, bending him over. I threw my knee into his ribs until I heard a satisfactory crack. And then another. And another. When I was sure he out of commission, I knocked him out for good measure. Now, to get them out of sight. I dragged both of the bodies into nearby storage closets and locked the doors. It was time for their break, so it wouldn't tip anything off if they were gone. Checking my watch, I had five minutes until they got there.

 _Shit._

Looking around his penthouse, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. It was a very nice space with multiple balconies, a huge bar, spacious living room area, an indoor pool and a TV in a size I didn't even know they made. Money may not buy happiness, but I'd much rather cry alone drinking Château on my 1,000 thread count sheets than in an apartment on a HomeGoods couch drinking wine I picked up from Trader Joe's. The only bad thing about it was there weren't many places for concealment, it was too open.

"Rose, they're coming up the elevator now." Well, fuck me. I had three options; one of the many balconies, the bar, or dive in the pool and hope I can hold my breath long enough. I went with door number one. The balconies were open, but there were curtains so I had cover. I made it out the door just before they walked in.

"So, gentlemen, can I get you any drinks?" I'd never met Aaron in person, but from hearing his voice I could tell how much of an arrogant prick he was. It wasn't exactly a monologue, but I heard it all in his tone.

"Look, Drozdov, we're here on business. Frankly, I have better things to do so hand over the money and you can get back to sitting on your ass." Listening to Nathan, honestly it seemed like I was doing Galina a favor. He was one step away from becoming a loose canon. He's a liability and from what I'd heard loses more money than he's worth.

"What's the hurry? I, at least, like to know who I'm getting in bed with. Literally and figuratively. Have a drink."

"Fine, you got any whiskey?" I groaned internally. Sitting on this balcony all day while these two had tea time was not part of the plan.

"Actually, we should really hurry and get back. Galina—"

"Galina isn't here! This is _my_ deal, I'm in charge! And I say we have time for a drink."

Sounded like Galina needed to start giving out more hugs and appreciation cards. If these were the type of people she had working for her, her empire was bound to crumble right out from under her.

"So anyway, Nathan, tell me a bit about the product I'm investing in." The smirk in his words was unmistakable.

"Well, you know we get all our girls top of the line. Perfect shape, no disabilities or mental issues, of puberty age, and always compliant. You pretty much have the pick of the litter. You want Asian, African-American, Caucasian, Indian, big boobs, nice ass, blonde, red head, skinny, curvy, big boned, it doesn't matter. Whatever you want, we can supply it. You know, if you're into it, we even have some a little younger than recommended if you know what I mean. I hear they're particularly—" I saw red. Next thing I knew I was standing in front of two dead bodies, Nathan with a bullet in his thigh, and Aaron crouching behind his couch.

"What the hell is going on?!" Aaron screeched in shock. I was trying my best to keep it professional, but I was shaking with anger.

"How dare you? I'm not about to stand here and give you some big righteous speech, 'cause it won't mean shit. But, there's a special place in Hell for wastes of life like you. And I'm more than happy to send you there." Nathan laughed. A dead, emotionless laugh of an empty man. A man that welcomed death.

"You think this'll change anything? I'll only be replaced. You can't save anyone, you barely saved yourself. Or did you forget, Mazur? You think you're different now that a few years have passed? You're still that same, pathetic girl. You're just lucky you got out before I could get a few rounds in with you myself. I would've given you something to remember." I took several deep breaths to stop myself from emptying both my clips in his face. Or smashing it against the kitchen counter until there was nothing left but broken bone and mangled flesh. But, the worst part of it was that I knew there was truth to his words. Killing Nathan wouldn't change a damn thing. It probably wouldn't even save the girls he was planning to sell to Aaron. They'd only be sold to a different person at a different time. Them and countless girls like them. Like me. All this time, all these people I'd killed and what had it helped? What good was I doing?

"Look, whatever this is between you and Nathan I have nothing to do with it. I won't say a word about anything I've seen I swear." Aaron's shaky voice pleaded from behind the couch.

"Oh don't worry. You'll both be leaving real soon."

"You're no better than us just because your trade is different. There's just as much blood on your hands as mine. You really want to save the world from demons and evils that lurk in the night? Pull that trigger on yourself." I narrowed my eyes. Who was he to lecture me on right and wrong? Sure, I kill people. But he tore them apart. The people I killed weren't innocent in the slightest, and who's to say the girls they abducted were? But no matter what they might've done in their lives, they didn't deserve what happened to them. I wouldn't wish a fate like that on my worst enemy. I barely heard Aaron's pitiful cries and pleads for his life over my own thoughts.

"Rose, time is running short. Do the job, and get out of there." Pavel's voice in my ear brought me back to steadiness. This was just a job. No different than any of the countless others I'd done. Get in, and get out. That's all I had to do.

"See you in Hell." Were the last words Nathan chose. Before anything else could be said, I put a bullet between his eyes and Aaron's who I was surprised hadn't tried to make a run for it. Not that he would have gotten anywhere.

"It's done." I whispered to no one in particular. I thought I'd feel alleviated from all the stress and doubt I'd been feeling this past week when it was done, but I felt fifty pounds heavier. There was still that looming feeling like something dreadful was about to happen. I couldn't put my finger on it, but my gut was practically screaming that everything was about to go to shit.

And it was right.

I smelled him before anything else. That aftershave was a scent I knew all too well, it was overpowering and permeated the entire room. The clicking of a gun cocking followed soon after.

"Hey, Comrade. Long time no see," I turned to see none other than Dimitri Belikov standing before me in all his western wannabe glory, "How long has it been? A year?" He clenched his jaw. Dimitri and I were nothing short of mortal enemies. Both of our main goals was solely to kill the other, and for six years we'd failed. We might as well be Sherlock and Moriarty. Only instead of a battle of wits, it was more like a battle of arms.

"You and I both know I'm not here for pleasantries, Mazur." He sneered through gritted teeth. I grinned. This couldn't have been more of a serious moment, but I loved to see him squirm. Belikov was like the Queen's guard when it came to showing emotion and I reveled in the rare times that I managed to get a rise out of him.

"Mazur? You wound me, Dimitri. After all these years I think we've gotten to a first name basis." His nostrils started to flare as he struggled to hold his composure. If Pavel were actually here I'm sure he'd scold me for acting like a child in the face of death.

"Rose? Rose, what's going on? I've been losing connection, are you alright?"

"Everything's fine, Pavel. Give me a second, I'll contact you on my way out. Promise." I disconnected my earpiece and dropped it on the ground. Whatever was to happen next, I didn't want him to hear it.

"Sure you don't want to say any last goodbyes?"

"Aww. I knew I'd crack that stone heart of yours one day, Belikov." He growled, a deep, guttural growl you'd hear from a wild animal, and charged forward pushing the barrel of his gun right against my temple. Any other sane person would've flinched, cried, begged and pleaded for their life, anything. Instead, I relaxed. You didn't live the life that I did fearing death. I'd come to terms with the fact that my life could end at any moment the second I made my final life decision at sixteen.

"I'm tired of playing these games with you. It's taken too long for this day to come. You are finally going to pay for your sins." Now, it was my turn to laugh. I understood exactly where Nathan was coming from now. Especially since Dimitri and I were literally no different at all. We had the same job, but different bosses. This was the pot calling the kettle black if I'd ever seen it.

"Sins? You wanna talk about sins? Let's take a minute to count up your bodies shall we? Or did you forget not only are we the same, we're even."

"We are not even. We will _never_ be even. You took everything from me."

"If you really think this'll magically bring him back, fine. Pull the trigger. I'll be sure to tell him you said hi." Looking in his dark eyes I saw hesitation for the first time. We'd spent years trying to kill each other, he finally had the chance to end it all, and he was faltering. Dimitri Belikov was never one to falter. In fact, he was known for being able to kill without consequence. He felt nothing, he showed nothing. Yet here he was allowing whatever it was he was feeling to get in the way of his objective. I tried to see exactly what those feelings were, but his eyes were clouded. It was almost like he didn't know for himself. The thought crossed my mind to shoot him in the leg while he was distracted, but someone else thought of it first.

Bullets shot through the balcony windows, scattering across the walls and expensive furnishings. We both got down just in time, but not before being nicked. Thankfully, it was just a flesh wound, but it hurt no less. I scrambled to pick up my earpiece.

"Pavel! Pavel, I'm under heavy enemy fire. At least three shooters, I need eyes. What the fuck is going on?!" It probably wasn't the best idea to take my eyes off of Belikov, but he was just as fucked as I was right now. I doubted killing me was still the sole concern on his mind.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I don't know. I only have eyes directly outside and inside the hotel. God damnit! I knew I should've went with you. Is there any way you can make it to the elevator?" Considering how many bullets were flying through there, I'd say definitely not. Not if I wanted to make it alive. There weren't that many options for that, and the only one I could think of was one I'd rather die before doing. Looking at Dimitri, I could tell he reached the same conclusion I had. And neither of us was happy about it. If we were going to survive this, we'd have to work together.

* * *

 _DUN, DUN_ _, DUUUNNNN! There it is. The final meeting. I really hope this chapter didn't feel rushed, I didn't see the point in going through a week of nothing. The plan was already laid out and wait was all there was left to do. I hate filler chapters and that's what it felt like that would've been. But, on another note, it's super hard to drag out this relationship you have no idea how much I just want to throw those two together already. That wouldn't be a very good story though. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I appreciate every one of you that takes the time to review it makes me feel so great X3. Swear I reread them almost every day._

 _Hope you all have a wonderful week, until next time! xoxo_


	5. Chapter 5

"Look, I don't like this anymore than you, but unless you want to end up full of holes we're going to have to cooperate." He looked at me with his signature stoic mask back in place. The same mask that got him the title of Anti-Social God, it was impossible to read and extremely infuriating to deal with. But, it was impressive that he was managing to hold it with a bullet in his shoulder.

"This is a job, it's not about what you like. Now looking at how many rounds have been fired, they'll have to reload in about two minutes. When that happens we head for the door and get to the elevator, but be on the lookout it's possible Drozdov had more men and they could be coming. We go straight to the first floor, but there's a back door that leads to the alley. That's our way out. It's likely they have this entire place surrounded, so never drop your guard. I don't really care if you die, but there's a better chance of survival with the two of us." Wow, he really knew how to make a girl feel special. I ground my teeth together to prevent the endless string of curses from escaping. This wasn't the time, and I was already very preoccupied with not shooting a bullet through his heart. I couldn't tell what pissed me off more, the fact that he was talking down to me or the fact that he was acting like I didn't know how to do my own damn job.

"Fuck you, I don't need you." I realize what I said moments before, but that know-it-all tone in his voice and stupid blank expression on his face only reminded me why I hated him so much in the first place. There was an endless list of things I'd rather do before ever having to depend on him for anything, especially saving my life. Who was to say he meant anything he said anyway? He could just as easily wait until they stopped firing, shoot me, and be on his merry way. I had no reason to trust him. When the gunfire stopped I got up and took off for the door as fast as I could, not caring whether he was following or not.

 _Remind me to thank my old trainer for all those cardio days we spent running._

Part of me was hoping he'd lost too much blood by now and wouldn't be able to stand, let alone keep up. Of course, that was all but the case. He was right on my tail, not missing a step. I was prepared to run straight for the elevator, but he grabbed my arm and roughly threw me behind him. I couldn't see what was in front of him, but the two shots he fired said he was right and more of Aaron's guards had actually come.

Holy shit...Dimitri Belikov just saved my life...Dimitri. Belikov. Saved my life. I repeated it as many times as I could in my head with hopes that it'd start to make sense. No luck.

Just what I needed, to owe someone. Especially _him_. The slight feeling of gratitude that was starting to taint my mind immediately dissipated when he turned to me with narrowed, stony eyes. His hold on my arm tightened.

"Can you be any more hardheaded?! You're right, I don't like this. I'd much rather kill you and take my chances, but I'm not doing that because I don't let my emotions run me. Unlike you. If you really want to die that bad, fine. But I'm not going down with you. Us working together doesn't change a damn thing. The second we get out of here it's right back to wanting you dead. So, you want to be an adult or go on fighting everything that doesn't go your way?" Our faces were inches apart. His aftershave was so overpowering my head started to spin, I nearly gagged. I could feel every heavy breath from his nose across my face, and I wanted nothing more than to break his jaw.

So I did.

My lips curled at the way his head violently snapped to the side after my fist connected with it. The percussive sound of the impact echoing throughout the hallway was music to my ears. I hadn't exactly broken anything, but he'd definitely be feeling it later. He stumbled back a couple feet and spit out some blood, glaring daggers.

"You _ever_ fucking touch me again, and you'll find out how lonely it can be at night without hands." I promised in a sickly sweet singsong voice, "You've wasted enough of our time already. Let's go." This time he rightfully kept his distance, and his mouth shut, as we made our way into the elevator.

There were no other assailants on the top floor besides the ones firing from outside, so I assumed these weren't people like us. Obviously they were skilled with firearms, clearly not the best considering their first shots failed to kill us, but that alone doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a killer. They've probably never so much as seen a dead body up close. There were people like Dimitri and I who could kill by any means necessary and aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, and then there were people who were only trained for the bare minimum which was mostly sniping. That was the easiest way of doing it, killing from a distance. You never have to look your target in the eye, you don't see their life fade, you never have to scrub blood off your hands, and the lives you steal don't stay with you. They were the lucky ones, but it put them in a very limited position. If they were to meet with us face to face they'd be dead before they could cock their guns. So, I was almost certain there'd be no trouble once we got to the first floor.

"The door is through the restaurant, in the back of the kitchen. From the angle they were shooting at its most likely they won't have a view of the alley, so unless they changed positions everything should be fine." He led us out the elevator, and as I predicted there was no one waiting for us. Whoever planned this, they were hoping to get both of us in one shot. I was actually pretty offended. They really thought they could kill _the_ Rose Mazur that easily?

When we stepped out into the alley, for the most part, it was quiet. Well, as quiet as it could be in Vegas even during the day. After that failed attempt our assailants must've tucked their tails and ran. This would've been good news had I not been stuck with one other person whose sole purpose in life was to kill me. One person can only handle so many threats to their life in one day, and I'd say I reached my quota.

"Well not that this hasn't been fun, but—-oh come on! You ever heard of live to fight another day?" By the time I turned to face him, he had his gun drawn. He clearly wasn't exaggerating when he said the second we got out of there.

"I will not fail again." The hesitation he showed back inside the hotel was gone. His eyes were empty. He felt nothing. The smart thing to do would've been to duck out of his line of fire and either go for my gun, or disarm him of his, but something told me he was expecting that. He always knew. My chances of getting out of this one were slim to none. So much for escaping death.

 _Should've just let those idiots kill me._

I was about to concede when a familiar glint caught my eye behind him. Before he caught my distraction I locked my eyes back with his, a taunting smirk on my lips. I could see the confusion in his eyes, but of course he remained impassive on the outside. Had he pulled the trigger a second earlier I would've been done for but, once again, Grandpa was too slow. I ducked just as the bullet fired from Pavel's gun grazed his arm, and flew over my head.

"дерьмо́!" (Shit). He dropped his gun, which I very graciously removed from his possession kicking it aside.

"Biz ayrılıyoruz. şimdi!" (We're leaving. Now). Pavel called to me, never taking his eyes off Dimitri. It was probably imperative that we got out of there as quickly as possible, but I just had to revel in the moment a little.

"Well, well, well. It seems once again the tables have turned, little mouse. удачи в следующий раз, Comrade." (Good luck next time). He kept that stupid mask in place as I was speaking, but when he heard his native tongue it faltered. There was genuine surprise, and rage, and disgrace at his repeated failure. But there was something new I'd never seen in him before. A fire burned behind his unsettlingly deep eyes. If he wanted me dead before, now he wanted to deliver my head on a pike to the gates of Hell himself. Anyone in their right mind would've been terrified and ran for the hills at the sight, but my heart was pounding with adrenaline. This game of ours was quite literally a fight to the death, and the stakes were only getting higher. As sick as it sounded facing him was the only real excitement I had in my life, the only challenge, and it was like being locked in a match of chess. Something told me we were getting real close to a checkmate. So, may the best man win.

Before joining with Pavel, I gave him a swift kick to his temple knocking him unconscious. Just in case he felt inclined to follow us. Lucky for us the streets were pretty clear making for a smooth escape.

"You keep saving me like this, Pavel, and I just might have to buy you a suit of armor."

"We're going back to Antalya, right now. Your father is pissed and raising Hell to find out who ambushed you, and until he does he doesn't want you going back to New York or leaving on your own." If my face got any redder steam would've started to pour from my ears.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm not about to be locked up in that house with him like some fucking damsel in distress! I don't need his protection and I damn sure don't need his help! I can do this on my own, like I have been for the past 5 years." How dare he try to hide me away like I need some kind of witness protection. A week ago he could barely look at me, now suddenly he wants to look after me? Fuck that. The second they're asleep, I'm out of there.

"This is serious, Rose. No one was supposed to know about that meeting, and definitely not that you were going to be hijacking it. It's bad enough that Galina's dog was there, so that in itself means that she was on to our plan all along. Now, we've got a third adversary trying to kill you that we know nothing about. It could be anyone, meaning everyone is a suspect. We have to make sure you're safe."

"It wasn't just me. They shot Dimitri too." He grew silent for a second. I could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to connect some imaginary dots together. To me it wasn't that big of a deal considering Belikov and I were practically the two biggest wanted names out there among the illegal channels. Killing one of us was enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, kill both of us and your grandkids wouldn't have to work a day in their lives. It's no surprise someone tried to kill two birds with one stone, but he was right about one thing. How'd they know we'd be there? If anyone, it had to be someone on the inside of either Galina's or my father's business who knew their moves and predicted the outcome of both Dimitri and I showing up. Zmey is the most secretive man you'll ever meet, so it had to be an associate of Galina. Someone close to her, waiting for her to slip up so they could steal her position right from under her, and was hoping to take my father out all at the same time. We were either dealing with a lunatic, or a genius. More than likely a perfect, frightening blend of the two. As if I didn't have enough problems already.

"This is much worse than we thought. We need to get back to your father immediately."

—Δ—

"What the hell do you mean you don't know the last person Galina spoke to?! What do I pay you for?! Either you start making yourself useful, or I'll replace you with someone who is. And I can promise you won't like the form your pink slip comes in!" When we got back home, Abe was pacing back and forth with a phone in each hand. His hair was wild from however many times he ran his hands through it, his decorative scarf was hung loosely around his neck, and judging from the bags under his eyes he couldn't have gotten more than two hours of sleep. That is all just to say he looked like shit.

"Take Rose to her room, Pavel. I need all hands on this."

"Oh, fuck you. I'm tired of being treated like I'm not a valued part of this "business". Did you forget who keeps all your books and shit in order? Me. Who you send out to keep those dumbasses you call subordinates in line? Still me. Who does all the work you don't have the balls to do yourself? Say it with me now, ME. Had it not been for me, Old Man, you wouldn't have half of what you do. So either start treating me like an equal, or see how long you last without me." His nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge, but he said nothing. Never thought I'd see the day Zmey was too tired to stand his ground. Not that that was a battle he had any chance of winning.

"Fine, but you _listen_. If I need any input from you I'll ask for it." I suppressed a chuckle. Oh, how fragile a thing masculinity can be. Always has to prove he's in control.

"Now, we have to deal with the possibility that this is the doing of someone loyal to both Galina and I. Someone that has somehow woven their way into both our circles. That being said, no information about Rose or any future plans is to be shared with anyone outside this room. Pavel, keep everything in order and everyone busy. I don't want anyone suspecting anything. We need to keep eyes and ears on everyone, I will bring in some old associates of mine to assist on that front. But, that's only half the issue. Right now, Galina and I share a common enemy and the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"What are you saying boss?" Pavel and I both shared a look of concern. The Old Man must have finally lost it if he's implying what we think.

"I'm scheduling a meeting between the three of us, Galina, and her dog Belikov." Yea, he's lost it alright.

"You really expect her to meet us with the noble intentions of having, what, a chat over tea? You can't possibly be this desperate to trust her. What's to stop her from not coming at all and sending whoever to kill all of us? You're practically lining the shot up for her." He cut his eyes toward me, getting ready for what I'm sure was a string of reprimands for speaking out of turn but Pavel interrupted.

"As rudely as Rosemarie is putting it, she does have a point. We can't be sure that Galina will stick to any agreed upon restrictions for this meeting. I'd suggest it be done over a strict phone line we make sure no one can tap." He stroked his beard muling over Pavel's suggestion, but ultimately shook his head in disagreement.

"No. It has to be face to face. That's the only way I can make sure we're on the same terms, I need to look her in the eye. If we're all in the same place that leaves for less intrusion. And don't insult me with the assumption that I have any intention of trusting her with anything. This is a business meeting that will decide the future for both of our empires. Even she can't deny that. Despite our rivalry there is a common ground set between the both of us for this very situation. If she knows what's good for her, she'll behave and keep her dog on his leash. Galina knows I have orders set in place should anything happen to any of us in this room, she's not ready for that shitstorm." We all sat in silence for a moment. I didn't want to admit it, but this was our best choice of action. Without any sort of leads on who this mole could be, we had no other choice but to call a truce and dig it out. Still, I wasn't happy about being in the same room with the enemy not knowing what may or may not be waiting for us outside. If we even make it back outside.

"I'll set it up. For now, both of you get some rest. But, Rosemarie, I need to talk to you first." Pavel shot me a look that said 'Behave' before he left.

"No promises." I muttered to myself.

"Don't talk under your breath, you know your mother hated that."

"Well she's not here to hate anything is she." I snapped instinctually. He knew she was a sore spot for me, and still dared to bring her up. I will always resent him for being the cause of her death, he had no right to speak of her.

His expression grew hard and eyes cold.

"As hard as it'll be for you, I need you to control yourself during this meeting. I'm not letting it go to Hell because of you losing your temper at the slightest inconvenience. It's time to grow up. Daughter or not if you screw up, there will be consequences. Pavel will give you further information once it's set up. Now, leave my office." Surprisingly I didn't have the energy to be angry. I'd already been killed nearly twice today, which he hadn't bothered to ask about by the way, and was frankly exhausted. I needed a nice long bath and a good nights sleep. For once. Hell, I'd even take another quick visit with Adrian. He definitely knew how to get a girl relaxed.

It took no time for me to fill the tub, but even the warm water and lavender bubbles weren't enough to loosen the knots afflicting my muscles. With what was coming, relaxation was a luxury I couldn't afford. I could only hope that after this temporary merge, assuming negotiations don't fall to shit, there'd be one less thing for me to worry about. Belikov. My mind wandered to him for a minute. Was he still lying unconscious in that alley? Is he on his way back to Galina? Did they kill him? Had he been caught?

I scoffed at my naive hope. Of course not. That bastard was too stubborn to die and frankly too strong to be taken down. Except by me. But, there was something that continued to bug me since our run in. He saved me. Despite his reasoning for it, it still happened. And that meant I owe him a debt. Even us killers had a moral code, and part of it was if someone saves your life that has to be paid back. No matter what. I sure as hell wasn't happy about owing him anything, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of...gratitude. And I hated it. The feeling crawled under my skin like a parasite trying to bury its way deeper in. I refused to let anything stop me from hating Belikov. His crimes were unforgivable and it was my job to carry out his judgment. If the opportunity didn't present itself during the truce to repay my debt, then it wasn't meant to be paid. I just hoped it ended soon so I could be rid of him once and for all. He had escaped me for the last time.

* * *

 _Look who's back! Miss me? I'm super sorry it's taken me so long to come back to this story, but hey at least I made it back. School has been tough I'm finally figuring out what I wanna do, so it's been a ride. But, nonetheless I haven't forgotten about this story and frankly I could use a nice break once in a while from life, y'know?_

 _Anyway, I hope you all are doing well and I haven't lost any of you throughout this hiatus. Also, sorry if this chapter got a little lackluster at the end I started it a while ago and I'm a little rusty now. But, please do share your thoughts on it and whatever else you feel like sharing :)._

 _I'm excited to be back and writing for you all so here's to a great adventure!_


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